White Breasted Nuthatch II

photograph of a White Breasted Nuthatch on a tree trunk

White Breasted Nuthatches have the odd habit of creeping down tree trunks.  This one stopped to survey it’s surrounding.  In the process it showed off it’s flexibility by craning it’s neck more than 90 degrees to assess the scene.  This photo was taken on a rainy day and you can see a tiny drop of water clinging to the bird’s belly.

Unlikely Fisherman

photograph of a spider sitting on a leaf in a pool of water

Five of the eight legs of this spider were on the surface of a small pool of water.  The other three were resting on a leaf floating on the surface.  At first I thought this spider had been stranded on the leaf but I later realized it was probably waiting there for lunch to come along.

Like all the photos on my blog, you can click on the image above to see a larger, high resolution image of this photo.

Landing Zone

photograph of bird tracks on a beach

Animal tracks always catch my attention but they aren’t always very photogenic.  These bird prints were on a beach along the James River.  It would be impossible to identify the type of bird that left them but the deeper, wider prints in the foreground indicate the bird landed here and then hopped along the beach before taking flight.  The early morning sun provided enough shade within the prints to make them stand out in the photo.

American Coots

photograph of American Coots in the water

The American Coot is a rather funny looking bird.  They break the old rule that says “if it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it must be a duck”.  They are actually more closely related to rails and cranes.  When you get a good look at their feet, which are not webbed, you realize they must not be ducks.

King of the Mud Puddle

photograph of a red southern toad sitting up in a mud puddle

 

Walking in a park near the James River on spring afternoon, I stopped to see if there might be anything interesting in a large puddle adjacent to a small pond.  Sitting, quietly a few feet from the trail was this red toad.  It remained so motionless as I photographed it, I began to think it might be a toy frog somebody put there as a joke.

Bumble Bee on Redbud

photograph of a bumble bee pollenating a redbud tree

Over the weekend I sat on my roof to get a better view of the bumble bees pollenating our redbud tree.  These trees never cease to amaze me.  They are in full bloom in Richmond and quite beautiful right now.  The bees will be all over them for the next few weeks.  Some of the birds will even eat the flowers.  Then, late in the summer they will start to produce seed pods and become nature’s perfect bird feeder.  Of course the trees benefit immensely from feeding the birds.  We have one full sized tree in our yard and we must get a hundred saplings sprout up every year.

River Cairns

photo of rocks stacked in the James River

During a walk along the James River I noticed these cairns out among the natural rock formations.  Perhaps they were put their by a paddler as a way to mark their take out point?