I watched these tundra swans paddle around in the water for a while and hoped they would take flight. When they finally did I was able to capture a few photos.
American Coots
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
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.
River Cairns
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?
Weekly Photo Challenge: Color
A Zebra Swallowtail butterfly feeds on henbit and buttercups along the Washington Ditch in the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge near Suffolk, Virginia.
Yellow Breasted Chat
This little Yellow Breasted Chat and I met up along a rather unscenic part of a hike. I didn’t have my camera ready when I first spotted the bird but it was gracious enough to hang around and let me snap a few pictures of it. It almost seemed to pose for me a couple of times.
Stones Along the Shore
This photograph was taken on Hog Island Wildlife Management Area, along the James River, near Surry, VA. It was a cold February morning, just after dawn. While the entire scene looks wet, it was actually frozen. The sand along the shore was a hard as cement and the foam around the river stones had been turned to ice.
Forster's Tern
During a hike near the James River, I came across a group of Forster’s Terns flying above a stream. I watched as they floated, effortlessly in the air above the water. After a few seconds they would dive out of view and then come flying back up, circle around, and start over. I assume they were catching small fish but I couldn’t get close enough to be sure. The tern pictured here is hovering in position, waiting to dive.
River Otter
I was hiking near the James River when I heard a small grunting sound. The trail I was on crossed over a stream and when I looked to my left a group of 4 or 5 river otters were watching me. They clearly wanted to cross the trail I was on and seemed annoyed I was in their way. They stuck around long enough for me to take this photo before swimming back the way they came.
Brown Headed Nuthatch
I encountered this brown headed nuthatch in a grove of pine trees along the south shore of the James River. I later learned the James River is the northern edge of their range, which explained why I had never seen one before; I live on the north side of the river.