Reconnecting with nature through hiking, camping, and paddling
This Pearl Crescent butterfly rests peacefully in a bed of white and yellow flowers. According to “An Instant Guide to Butterflies” by Pamela Forey and Cecilia Fitzsimons, male Pearl Crescents patrol their territory and will fly at other butterflies and insects.
Wild Daisies grow along an open trail on a late spring morning in Central Virginia.
I’ve been experimenting with photographing hummingbirds as they fly to our feeder. It’s quite an exercise in patience. This little female comes regularly but sometimes it’s 15-20 minutes between her visits. I captured this image recently after waiting for about 45 minutes. It was her third visit but the only one with sharp enough focus and good enough lighting to share.
In past years I’ve noticed the hummingbirds come more frequently later in the summer. Perhaps there are simply more of them after they’ve raised a brood or two? Or maybe there are just fewer feeding options for them? Whatever the cause, I’m hoping to get more images before they migrate south for the winter.
Sun, rain, plant, earth, and gardener all played a part in producing these magnificent buds. How many hours of sunlight, drops of rain, atoms of nitrogen, and beads of sweat have gone into them?
A simple buttercup grew in a patch of grass along the trail I was hiking. After stopping to take photos of something more compelling, I noticed this flower and thought it deserved a little attention.
This meerkat and its friends were digging in their sandy enclosure at the Metro Richmond Zoo when we visited in early April.
This painted turtle was sunning itself on a cool spring day which probably allowed me to get closer than I otherwise might have. There were a few other turtles nearby but I like the coloration of this one.
I spotted this Horned Grebe swimming in one of the canals at The Great Dismal Swamp. It didn’t seem to mind me watching it at all. It just swam around, in and out of the shadows and would occasionally dive under water. I was able to get quite a few photos of it but this is one of my favorites.
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.
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.