Reconnecting with nature through hiking, camping, and paddling
When I think of the color of bees and wasps, I think of yellows, oranges, and reds. This little Mason Wasp is black and white with beautiful blue wings. Sadly, it flew away before I could get a another photo showing more of the wing. From what I’ve read, they mainly feed on nectar and caterpillars.
I don’t know what type of flower this is but it is big and very bright red. It was growing on a vine in the Conservatory at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden when I photographed it in May.
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 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.
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.
A Zebra Swallowtail butterfly feeds on henbit and buttercups along the Washington Ditch in the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge near Suffolk, Virginia.
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.
This sheep resides at Maymont Park in Richmond, VA. It was showing off its winter coat when we met it in the late fall.
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.