Surveying the Meadow

Photograph of a beetle perched on the tip of a leaf

I stopped to look around at the edge of a meadow in Powhatan State Park on a hot summer day. The sun was blazing, and most of the wildlife was laying low. That’s when I noticed this little beetle perched on the edge of a leaf. It seemed to be surveying the meadow, just checking things out to see what was going on. I managed to snap this photo just before it flew away.

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Little Brown Butterfly, I

Photograph of a small, brown butterfly

I haven’t been able to identify this butterfly.  It was at the Butterflies LIVE exhibit at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden so it may not be native to the United States.  If anybody knows the species I’d appreciate a comment.

Common Morpho, I

Photograph of a Common Morpho butterfly resting on a leaf

This Common Morpho was kind enough to sit still while I photographed it head-on.  It’s a large butterfly with brilliant blue on the upperside of its wings and brown with black and yellow eyespots on the undersides.

Wilting Camelia, I

photograph of a wilting camelia flower

The camelia flowers have had their run.

Their work is nearly done and their time is running out.

In a few more days this flower will be gone.

Eastern River Cooter

Photograph of an Eastern River Cooter on the Rappahannock River in Virginia

This small Eastern River Cooter was basking on a sunny log in the Rappahannock River as a paddled my canoe past it last July.  I don’t know much about the turtles of Virginia so I may have misidentified this one.

American Goldfinch, female

photograph of a female American Goldfinch on a branch

During the breeding season the American Goldfinch has beautiful, bright yellow plumage that turns to a sort of olive green in the fall.  This female, decked out in her summer plumage, looks curious about something.  The males are similarly colored but sport a prominent black cap as part of their breeding plumage.