High Walk
I'm a firm believer that things happen for a reason and I am thankful I spent yesterday morning helping Steve locate a bushing for the disabled honey extractor. Otherwise, I would have been @ Brunswick Town observing the ECU Archaeology students begin their excavation work. As it was, I received a somewhat frantic call from a very close friend and neighbor that an Alligator was @ her garage door. Barely able to contain my excitement I grabbed my phone and cautiously crept up to the scene. The Gator had already moved and settled itself along the side yard. She was easily identified as Ms. P, a solid 6 footer who frequents this area. She is the very Gator that was probably responsible for nipping off 6 inches of my Baby Cyclops’s tail last year.
Of course I took a ton of shots from a safe distance and Ms. P decided to get up and resume her trek to the Familiar pond she had vacated a few weeks ago. Breeding season in SE NC is in full swing and Alligators are on the move. If spotted, give them a wide birth and leave them alone. They will move on. They don't want to stay in your yard, they are looking for water or a mate and they will continue their journey as soon as they rest and feel it's safe. I know this is easier said than done but it is true ... Ms. P is executing what is known as a high walk which allows her to travel Distances more easily than in a crawl.
Modern day dinosaur on the move in my hood…
As she approached the road I played Crossing Guard until she safely made it to the vegetation surrounding her destination pond. What an exhilarating moment!! Mission Accomplished!!
Modern day dinosaur on the move in my hood…
As she approached the road I played Crossing Guard until she safely made it to the vegetation surrounding her destination pond. What an exhilarating moment!! Mission Accomplished!!
Just more High Walk shots because I think it is sooooo cool!!!
Author
My name is Kathy Sykes and I'm a wildlife photographer who spends her time stalking the American Alligator in my beloved Brunswick County. You may see me out and about in my “Gator Up” truck with my shotgun rider Hazel Mae searching for sunrises, gators and all things swampy. Come ride with me and share in the adventures of profiling and protecting this amazing creature and its habitats.