Painted In The Sun

Photograph of a painted turtle sunning on a log in the Mattaponi River by Doug Couvillion

Quietly paddling the Mattaponi River on a cool September morning, I captured this image of a Painted Turtle. Like all reptiles, turtles are cold blooded, so you’ll see them basking in the sun on cooler mornings. They love logs and rocks overhanging the water. There they find a sunny location with a quick escape into the water if a predator, or curious photographer gets too close.

Snake In The Grass

photograph of a black snake coiled in a grassy meadow

Hiking through a meadow on a sunny, summer afternoon I spotted this beautiful black snake resting just off the hiking trail. In my experience black snakes are fearless of humans and this one was no exception. I got close enough to get this picture with my iPhone and the snake didn’t seem in the least bit interested or concerned.

Pollinating The Purple Passionflower

Photograph of a bee on a purple passionflower by Doug Couvillion

A variety of pollinators were active on the Purple Passionflowers in a meadow I hiked in early August. The bumble bees seemed to be running things, perfectly sized to gather the pollen from the down turned stamen of the passionflowers. In fact, most of the yellow above this bee’s wings is a thick coating of pollen.

The day I met Tessa

Photograph of a woodland box turtle by Doug Couvillion

This little Woodland Box Turtle and I briefly shared a hiking trail in Powhatan State Park earlier this month. Encountering wildlife, even a small, humble turtle, always makes me feel more connected and brings me a sense of joy and awe.

I prompted ChatGPT to write a short story about a turtle and a photographer meeting on a hike and here’s what it came up with.

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Eastern Glass Lizard

photograph of a legless glass lizard on the beach in Duck, NC, USA

This Eastern Glass Lizard was hanging out near near the surf on the beach in Duck, NC. I watched for a while and quickly realized it wasn’t a water snake. When it tried to get away from me, it had trouble navigating the waves and wasn’t doing much better traversing the wet sand. Knowing people aren’t very kind to snakes, I felt bad leaving it in the open.

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Backyard Visitor

There are lots of hawks patrolling our neighborhood this time of year. This beauty was perched on a branch about 8′ off the ground on a recent sunny afternoon. You can bet the squirrels and chipmunks that frequent my yard were nowhere to be seen.

My hawk identification skills aren’t great but I’m pretty sure this is a Red-Shouldered Hawk. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get a look at the markings and coloration on the breast and belly.