November in the lowcountry means the return of winter birds and crisp air, the chatter of kinglets in the wax myrtle and the chuff of a red-bellied woodpecker on the trunks of the live oaks.  The marsh fades from golden to brown, and the clearer air and cooler temperatures give the water a deeper blue color.

The yaupon berries are changing from gold to orange to red, and most of the wildflowers have faded, leaving husks and seedpods on their stalks.  Enter flocks of yellow-rumped warblers, flitting through the trees and chipping cheerful calls to one another, flashing the yellow they’re named for as they dash in and out of the bushes.

Eastern Towhees also hop up to the top of the scrub, giving us the occasional glimpse of their striking plumage.  The alligators have slowed, and possibly stopped eating all together, as they congregate on sunny banks and platforms, soaking up the last vestiges of summer warmth.

 Butterflies gather on the salt myrtle bushes, which finally release their snowfall of fluffy blossoms to float around in the breeze, catching on the crisp seedpods of wildflowers and lining spiderwebs with their frosty sparkle.

 
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