This week, Tina has challenged us to focus on things that come in twos.
I enjoy taking animal and bird photographs. As I searched through my archives I came up with a few of my favorite animal and bird pairs.
Animal pairs are fun to capture. These two Irish sheep looked right at me as if posing for this photo.
Pair of Irish Sheep
A pair of Scottish Highland Cows, Hamish and Heather, came to the fence to beg for some free food.
Pair of Highland Cows in Scotland
These next photos are some of my favorite pairs of birds. The photo at the top of the page is a pair of Bald Eagles we saw from a wildlife and glacier cruise in Valdez, Alaska.
Pair of Whooping Cranes on Texas Gulf CoastPair of Ospreys on the nature trail, Gulf Islands National Seashore at Ft. Pickens, FloridaPair of great egrets at St. Augustine Alligator Farm Rookery
We’re not traveling as much in our fifth wheel anymore so I thought it would be fun to relive some of our most memorable days from previous RV trips.
On this day 3 years ago, on September 19, 2016, we were camping at Mississippi River State Park, a small Arkansas park located in the Mississippi Delta on the Crowley’s Ridge Parkway and the Great River Road within the St. Francis National Forest. We had driven through a fierce thunderstorm the day before and were ready to kick back and relax for a day.
We drove into the nearby town of Marianna, Arkansas in the morning to pick up some James Beard Award winning barbeque from Jones Bar-B-Q Diner. We discovered this place on a previous visit and knew that the restaurant often sold out by noon.
Jone’s Bar-B-Q Diner
With enough food for dinner that night and some extra to put in the freezer to take home, we returned to the campground to do some camp chair sitting in one of the best waterfront campsites we’ve ever had.
Water front camping at it’s best, Beech Point Campground on Bear Creek Lake
This Great Blue Heron, an egret, and some turtles kept us entertained as we enjoyed the peace and quiet for the rest of the day.
Great Blue Heron at Bear Creek LakeThis heron entertained us while we were relaxing in our campsiteGreat Egret at Mississippi River State Park, Arkansas
Our melt in your mouth delicious pulled pork dinner was a perfect meal to end the day.
It seems like we’ve been going non stop since we returned from our trip to Ireland and Scotland on May 23. Once I got caught up on laundry and got over the jet lag, I’ve been able to enjoy the summer.
With very little rain while we were on our trip, my garden was suffering when we got home. After a few days of digging in the dirt and a little watering, it is now thriving.
Zinnia
Daylily
Fiddler Crab on milkweed
Zinnias in the butterfly garden
Zinnia
Some days are perfect for a boat ride.
High tide in the Georgia Salt MarshDriftwood on a Georgia sandbar
The hummingbirds come by each day and a painted bunting bunting pair and other small birds come by the feeder regularly. Wading birds are frequent visitors in the neighborhood.
The next stop on our winter RV journey was Saint Augustine, Florida. We had a beautiful campsite in Anastasia State Park to call home for a few days. The weather was lousy most of the time but we picked a perfect sunny day to do some sightseeing.
At the top of my to do list was visit the Saint Augustine Alligator Farm Wading Bird Rookery. During nesting season wading birds come to nest in the trees in the Native Swamp at the Alligator Farm. The birds who nest here are wild and can come and go as they please. Although it was a little early in the nesting season there were a lot of great egrets and roseate spoonbills wearing their breeding plumage and some pairs were starting to build their nests.
The trees surround a swamp area filled with alligators. A boardwalk winds around the swamp giving visitors close up views of the alligators in the water and the birds in the trees.
A bird gathering at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Rookery
Roseate Spoonbills
Boardwalk through the Saint Augustine Alligator Farm Native Swam and Rookery
The Great Egrets showed off their breeding plumage and pairs worked on their nests.
Great Egret with breeding plumage at St. Augustine Alligator Farm RookeryPair of egrets working on their nestPair of great egrets at St. Augustine Alligator Farm RookeryEgrets at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm RookeryYou can take my picture nowGreat Egret Breeding Plumage
The Roseate Spoonbills were my favorite.
Roseate Spoonbill at Alligator FarmRoseate Spoonbill at Alligator Farm RookeryRoseate Spoonbill at Alligator Farm RookeryRoseate Spoonbill at Alligator Farm RookeryRoseate Spoonbill at Alligator Farm RookeryRoseate Spoonbill at Alligator Farm RookeryRoseate Spoonbill at Alligator Farm RookeryRoseate Spoonbill at Alligator Farm Rookery
Coming up next, more about our St. Augustine adventure including other critters at the Alligator Farm.
When the tide is just right and the minnows in the water are plentiful, wading birds gather in the salt marsh in search of food. White Ibis, Egrets, Herons, and Wood Storks can often be seen feeding side by side in the marsh.
This morning my husband got my attention to show me a long line of white birds lined up on the railing of our neighbor’s dock. By the time I got my camera ready many of the birds had flown down into the marsh but there were still a few white ibis and great egrets surveying the area before diving in to eat.
White Ibis searching for breakfast in the salt marshGreat EgretWhite IbisGreat Egret
It’s always entertaining to watch the white ibis as they feed. Usually there is a large group of them poking their long beaks under the water to capture fish. Suddenly, all of them will start wading through the water in the same direction in search of more food. They don’t stay long in any one place. Eventually, they tire of the area and fly off in search of better fishing grounds.
Ibis dining in the salt marshWhite Ibis dining in the salt marsh
I never know when I’m going to stumble across flocks of birds in the marsh but it’s always a treat when I see them. I was lucky to see them this morning and was glad to have my camera nearby.
Wandering Dawgs 