Reconnecting with nature through hiking, camping, and paddling
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.
This tufted titmouse is taking a break between trips to a nearby bird feeder. Titmice are quite gregarious and are often found with chickadees. They are always one of the first birds to notice when my feeders have been refilled.
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.
These blue orchids have an almost unreal color. That’s because the stems are injected with a blue dye before the flowers bloom. While the color may be a bit surreal, they are quite captivating.
The white throated sparrow is a shy, colorful little bird with a sweet song. They primarily forage for food on the ground. From above or behind they look like a typical brown sparrow but from the front one can see their namesake white throat patch and the bright yellow patches on their face.
These orchids were on display at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, VA. Inside an arboretum, their delicate, colorful blooms offered a refreshing break from the bleak, cold weather outside when we visited in February.
This female downy woodpecker, and some of her friends, frequent my backyard feeder.
Whatever you might think of the Markel Building in Richmond, VA, you have to agree it’s pretty original. I lovingly refer to this architectural anomaly as “the Jiffy Pop building”. If you’re familiar with Jiffy Pop, no further explanation is required. If not, here’s a link to the Wikipedia article on it, complete with pictures: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiffy_Pop. I don’t know much about the building but I believe it was originally build for Reynolds, the aluminum company, when they were big in Richmond.
The bright red doors contrasted with the cool green grass and warm stucco wall brought together enough color and texture to peek my interest in this simple building. The late afternoon sun and the white fence behind me provided the perfect lighting for this self portrait.