Nature – 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

The Flower Hour – White Zinnia

October 8, 2025Posted in Flowers, Nature, PhotographyTagged Coastal Georgia garden, Fall Flower, Fall Garden, Photo Challenge, The Flower Hour9 Comments

White zinnia in my coastal Georgia fall garden.

Welcome to the first Flower Hour Weekly challenge from Terri of Second Wind Leisure Perspectives. This new challenge will come out every Tuesday. I hope you’ll join in.

Many thanks to Terri for her first Flower Hour challenge The Flower Hour

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

Sunday Stills – Trees in Coastal Georgia

August 26, 2025Posted in Nature, PhotographyTagged Cabbage Palms, Coastal Georgia, cypress trees, Live Oaks, Photo Challenge, Spanish Moss, Sunday Stills, Trees30 Comments

Terri’s theme for this challenge is Trees. She asks us to share any kind of trees and be creative with the simple prompt. I am going to focus on three types of trees we see all around us in Coastal and South Georgia.

My featured image is a mixture of Live Oak trees and palm trees in our neighborhood. The first image in the below gallery is a Maritime Forest on Jekyll Island. The other two are Live Oak trees draped with Spanish Moss.

Cabbage Palms, also known as a Sabal Palmetto, is the only palm tree native to Georgia.

The final gallery shows Cypress trees in the Okefenokee Swamp in south Georgia.

Many thanks to Terri for her Sunday Stills challenge All the trees in the field

Every Day is a Gift

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #359 – Tools of Photo Composition: Lines, Colors, and Patterns

August 6, 2025Posted in Nature, PhotographyTagged caterpillar, Colors, Hot Air Balloon, Lens-Artists, lines, Patterns, Photo Challenge, Tools of photo composition41 Comments

John’s challenge is to find examples of photographs that feature compositional elements such as lines, patterns, or colors. I see these elements all around me in man made structures and in nature.

In the featured image the black walkway on this pedestrian bridge leads your eye to the figure dressed in red at the end of the walkway. The pattern of the green supports surrounding the walkway frame the walkway.

This wooden dock over the salt marsh is made with lines and interesting patterns that reflect in the water at high tide.

The Monarch Caterpillar is an example of colors and patterns in nature.

Vibrant colors and patterns in these hot air balloons.

Last week Tina’s challenge was Live and Learn. I learned some new things from your wonderful responses. Be sure to check back on Saturday, August 9 noon Eastern Time when Ann-Christine will be hosting the challenge.

Many thanks to John for this challenge Lens-Artists #359 – Lines, colors and patterns

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

Every Day is a Gift.