Nature – Page 9 – Wandering Dawgs

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #328 – Winter

December 13, 2024December 13, 2024Posted in Nature, PhotographyTagged ice, Lens-Artists, Photo Challenge, snow, snow storm, winter36 Comments

John has chosen Winter for this challenge. Our winters are usually mild here in coastal Georgia. There is sometimes frost on the ground and occasionally the temperature drops below freezing but snow is a rare sight.

I’ve lived on the Georgia coast since the mid 1970’s. The biggest snow storm I’ve ever seen here took place a few days before Christmas in 1989 when the several inches of snow stayed on the ground for a few days. Everything in coastal Georgia shut down. Roads and bridges were closed, including the bridges on Interstate 95. Sadly, I don’t have any photos to share.

A more recent snow storm occurred on January 3, 2018. The freezing rain and snow that came through that day caused road and bridge closures. For two days schools were out and government offices were closed. Coastal Georgia was transformed into a winter wonderland.

I’m not a cold weather person. The ice and snow are beautiful to see but I would be happy if we never had another snow or ice storm here.

Many thanks to our host JohnBo for the challenge Lens-Artists #328 – Winter

Sunday Stills: Discovering Brown Shades in Wildlife

November 19, 2024Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, WildlifeTagged auburn and brown, brown, Color Challenge, Sunday Stills, wildlife photography19 Comments

Terri’s color challenge: “November’s color theme includes shades of brown and shades of auburn (a rich, brownish red). You are welcome to include images of both colors or pick one to highlight.”

When I first read Terri’s challenge I had no idea what kind of brown things to include. When I realizied that I’ve seen plenty of brown wildlife during our travels I knew what to do.

Wildlife photography is my favorite type of photography. Seeing wild creatures in their natural habitat is always a thrill. For this challenge I’m including some of my favorite brown animals and birds.

The first gallery features Brown Bears in Alaska and British Columbia, White Tailed deer in Virginia, Bison in South Dakota, and Elk in Canada.

I chose some of my favorite birds the bird gallery: an Osprey, an American Bald Eagle, Brown Pelicans, a hawk and a juvenile White Ibis. The Osprey is in Georgia, the Eagle in Alaska, and the rest of the birds are in Florida.

It’s not always easy to capture photos of wild animals when I spot them but it sure is fun to try. Sometimes it’s just pure luck to be in the right place at the right time with the right camera lens.

Shared with Terri’s Sunday Stills challenge Color Challenge – Shades of Auburn and Brown

National Bison Day – November 2

November 2, 2024November 2, 2024Posted in Nature, WildlifeTagged American Bison, Custer State Park, Land Between the Lakes, National Bison Day, Yellowstone National Park11 Comments

The American Bison was named the United States National Mammal in 2016. This year National Bison Day is celebrated on Saturday, November 2.

Millions of these animals once roamed the American west. They were very important to the Native American tribes who depended on them for food, clothing, and more.

In the late 1800’s, the American bison were near extinction due to over hunting, drought, and disease. Thanks to dedicated groups of ranchers, the federal government, and conservationists the American Bison population has bounced back to an estimated 400,000 animals..

Today, visitors can view Bison herds in places such as Yellowstone National Park, Custer State Park, and the Land between the Lakes.

Elk and Bison Prairie, Land Between the Lakes, Kentucky

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #319 – Setting a Mood

October 11, 2024Posted in Nature, PhotographyTagged Leaves and Trees, Lens-Artists, Mood, Photo Challenge, Setting a Mood, Sunday Stills35 Comments

Ann-Christine asks us for images that set a mood. I haven’t had much time to focus on the challenge this week so my post will be brief.

Two weeks ago we had no power or water after Hurricane Helene brought rain and extremely strong winds overnight. I am grateful that we are safe and only had minor damage to our home.

The three cabbage palms in these images have withstood multiple hurricanes and tropical storms for over 40 years. Both of these images were taken two or three days after Helene passed us by. To me, both of these images portray a calm and serene mood.

I am grateful we are safe and our house is fine. My prayers go out to all of those who were affected by Helene and by Milton. So many had it much worse that we did. I am grateful to all of the volunteers who are helping those in need and to all of the electric company linemen who are working tirelessly to restore power.

Many thanks to our host Ann-Christine for the challenge Lens-Artists #319 – Setting a Mood

Shared with Terri’s Sunday Stills challenge Leaves and Trees

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #317 – Walking in the Neighborhood

September 26, 2024September 26, 2024Posted in Nature, PhotographyTagged beach, Lens-Artists, marsh hammock, Neighborhood, Photo Challenge, salt marsh, walk, walking in the neighborhood33 Comments

Tina is our host for the latest challenge. In her post she took us on a walk around her beautiful neighborhood and has challenged us to share a walk around our neighborhood.

There are only two streets in my small neighborhood in coastal Georgia. We are surrounded by salt water creeks and salt marsh. Some days I like to walk around the neighborhood but when I want to take a walk on the beach I take a 10 minute drive to the nearest beach access.

The road to our neighborhood goes by the pond shown in the header image. I love to see the marsh, creeks and wildflowers whenever I .go for a walk around my neighborhood.

Fall is one of my favorite times of year to go to the beach. The beaches are often crowded in the summer so I usually do my beach walking after most of the visitors are gone. The next gallery shows scenes from my most recent beach walks.