Birds – Page 2 – Wandering Dawgs

Sunday Stills – World Animal Day

October 9, 2025Posted in Birds, Nature, North Carolina, Photography, Texas, WildlifeTagged Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Bugling Elk, Cataloochee Valley, Photo Challenge, Sunday Stills, Whooping Crane, World Animal Day18 Comments

Terri’s latest Sunday Stills challenge is World Animal Day which was celebrated on October 4, 2025. Two animals that were on my bucket list were Whooping Cranes in Texas and Elk in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Seeing these animals in the wild was an amazing experience.

Whooping Cranes

According to the International Crane Foundation – North America, Whooping Cranes were near extinction with fewer than 20 individuals in 1941. Today, over 849 Whooping Cranes exist in the entire world.

We traveled to the Texas Gulf Coast one year hoping to see some of the Whooping Cranes who winter in and around the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. These birds breed at Canada’s Wood Buffalo National Park and migrate to Texas every winter. Today there are more than 500 of these beautiful birds.

We found these magnificent Whooping Cranes near Goose Island State Park, south of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. I posted about this amazing experience at Magnificent Endangered Whooping Cranes.

Pair of Whooping Cranes, near Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas

Cataloochee Valley Elk

One fall we traveled to Waynesville, North Carolina in search of Elk in Cataloochee Valley on the eastern side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I posted about our Elk viewing adventure at Cataloochee Valley Elk.

In February, 2001, the National Park Service began an experimental reintroduction of elk into Cataloochee Valley by releasing 25 elk from the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area on the Tennessee-Kentucky border. Another 27 elk from Canada were released in 2002. Today there are approximately 200 elk.

Bugling Elk, Cataloochee Valley, North Carolina

The breeding season, also known as the rutting season, is in the fall. During this time the bull elk make their bugling calls to attract females and challenge other bulls.

Female Elk, Cataloochee Valley, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina

Female Elk, Cataloochee Valley, North Carolona

Many thanks to Terri for her Sunday Stills challenge World Animal Day

Every Day is a Gift

Roseate Spoonbills in the Neighborhood

September 19, 2025Posted in Birds, Nature, PhotographyTagged Coastal Georgia Birds, Pink Feathers, Roseate Spoonbill, Wading Birds39 Comments

I was getting ready to make a trip to the grocery store yesterday when one of my friends texted me to let me know there were Roseate Spoonbills in some trees by the side of the road on the way out of our neighborhood.

I grabbed my camera and my telephoto lens before I left home and hoped the birds would still be there. Lucky me! Two of them were still still around.

Roseate Spoonbill

It’s always a special treat to see these pink beauties here in coastal Georgia. I’m grateful to my friend who let me know where they were.

Every Day is a Gift

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #364 – Quiet Moment

September 8, 2025Posted in Birds, Butterflies, PhotographyTagged butterfly, Full Moon, Gulf Fritillary, Lens-Artists, Photo Challenge, quiet moment, ruby throated hummingbird55 Comments

For this challenge Ritva asks us “Where is your serene sanctuary?” She challenges us to explore and connect with our own personal feelings.

After recent arthroscopic knee surgery I haven’t been able to go out to take many photos. Instead, I’ve had plenty of quiet moments in my own backyard. Watching the full moon rise from our back deck is a peaceful way to end the day. The featured image is of the August full moon.

I find peace sitting on our deck looking for hummingbirds at the feeder and butterflies in the garden. The hummingbirds will stay at the feeder for a while if I am very still and quiet.

Gulf Fritillary butterflies are frequent visitors to my garden this time of year. I love to watch them fly from flower to flower. Taking photos of them requires quiet and patience.

Last week Anne took us on a virtual scavenger hunt and the responses were very creative and fun. Be sure to check back on Saturday, September 13 at noon Eastern Time when Egidio will be hosting our next challenge.

Thanks Ritva for this beautiful challenge. I hope you will join in for this week’s challenge. Be sure to tag your post with Lens-Artists and include a link back to Ritva’s Lens-Artists #364 – Quiet Moment

For information on how to join the Len-Artists challenge please click here.

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #358 – Live and Learn

July 29, 2025Posted in Birds, Nature, PhotographyTagged Lens-Artists, Live and learn, Photo Challenge35 Comments

Tina’s challenge is Live and Learn. Tina reminds us of the importance of continuing to learn new things as we age. Here is her challenge: “Show me some of the things you’ve learned about photography or any subject you choose. Do you learn by doing as I do, or are you one who learns from classes, or online, or through working with others?”

I’ve never taken a photography class. I learn by doing and by experimenting and by making plenty of mistakes.

Some of the most important things I’ve learned in my photography journey is to always be prepared with batteries charged, space on the memory card, and a clean camera and lenses.

One of the most important editing techniques I have learned is how to crop. When we spotted this bear on the side of the road I didn’t have much time to frame the shot. I cropped the photo and edited the colors to achieve the final image shown here.

One of the reasons I keep participating in the weekly Lens-Artists challenges is because it helps me to learn new things about photography. These photos illustrate some of the photography tips and techniques I’ve learned.

The featured image uses a Bokeh technique. I learned from one of Sofia’s challenges that In photography, a Bokeh is the blurred or out of focus background in a photo. I frequently use this effect when photographing flowers.

When photographing wildlife, always focus on the eyes

I learned about Zooming from one of Anne’s challenges.

Fill the Frame

Leading Lines

Rule of Thirds

Last week Egidio took us Into the Woods for some Forest Bathing. I enjoyed all of the wonderful responses. Be sure to check back on Saturday, August 2 at noon Eastern Time when John will be hosting our next challenge.

Many thanks to Tina for this challenge Lens-Artists #358 – Live and Learn

For information on how to join the Len-Artists challenge please click here.

Every Day is a Gift.

Sunday Stills – Feathers

July 22, 2025Posted in Birds, Nature, PhotographyTagged Coastal Georgia, Egret, Feathers, Georgia on my mind, Photo Challenge, Sunday Stills, wood stork25 Comments

Terri’s latest Sunday Stills challenge of Feathers inspired me to get out and take a few bird photos early yesterday morning. The featured image was taken in January on Jeklyll Island, Georgia. The rest were taken yesterday.