Huntington Beach State Park, SC - Scenes of Nature

Last Friday I took a trip over to Huntington Beach State Park here in South Carolina to see some Fall changes and check for new birds that may have migrated to the area.  In this photo essay I'd like to share some of the plants and flowers I found.  The cattails are losing their slim appearance as they go to seed, there are a few flowers left before the cold nights of the season take away their blooms.  I also found a few insects hanging on for their last dance in the sun.  We'll still see the birds and alligators throughout the Fall and Winter months, but maybe not as many of them.  Their feathers change colors starting in October, a few have started a little early this year.  I look forward to being able to stay a little longer on my visits now that the cool mornings last a little longer and the sun doesn't seem quite so hot.  The humidity levels are really low making for comfortable walks along the causeway and marsh walk.

Butterflies are plentiful right now.

The Beauty Berries are finally purple and gorgeous.

Pretty Star Flowers are still blooming

Most of the cattails have gone to seed but still beautiful.

Pretty little wild flower growing among the reeds and cattails.

Now these next few photos are something I've never come across before.  There are vines hanging down from the trees with these small bunches of flower type balls hanging from the vine every so many inches.  Maybe someone will know what they are.

I don't remember flowers on vines during the summer hanging here and it looks like this is how they grow.

Spanish Moss, the camera never does it justice.

Another "mystery" tree with berries (my favorite thing to find).

Oysters growing in the salt marsh.

Still plenty of alligators in the fresh water.

An Alligator looking for cooler water.

He was moving pretty fast, I didn't even have time to open my tele-lens all the way.

Dragonflies are still plentiful also.

A garden spider made her web high in the trees going from one side of the path across to the other.  I wonder how they do that.  It's a good six feet across.

This web had a beautiful tiny green spider, shiny, emerald color.  I couldn't get a good picture of it but the web is pretty neat.

A prize catch for me, again I don't know the exact name but it's the first one I've spotted.  He was really on the move.

 This is the beginning of Fall here in my neck of the woods.  Hope you like the views.