Wildlife – Page 2 – Wandering Dawgs

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #342 – Going Wild

March 30, 2025Posted in Birds, Butterflies, Photography, Wildflowers, WildlifeTagged Denali National Park, Everglades National Park, It's a Wild Life, Lens-Artists, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Photo Challenge, wildlife photography37 Comments

Let’s take a walk on the wild side with Egidio’s challenge “Going Wild”. I love being in wilderness areas and photographing the landscapes, wildlife, wildflowers, and birds I see there. For this challenge I chose images from my three favorite wilderness areas.

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is closer to my home than any of my other favorite wilderness areas. We have been there many times and always enjoy the wildlife and birds we see there. The butterflies on wild thistle in the header image was taken in the Okefenokee.

Young alligator in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

Everglades National Park, Florida

We have visited Everglades National Park in Florida many times through the years. There are several entrances to the park with Flamingo being the most remote area. The Everglades is a bird lovers dream with many varieties all throughout the park. No matter where you go in the Everglades you are likely to see alligators.

Egrets and Spoonbills gathering in a pond near the Flamingo Campground in Everglades National Park

This alligator ignores the human invaders of his territory at Shark Valley in Everglades National Park

Denali National Park, Alaska

Denali National Park is the most remote wilderness area I have ever visited. I loved the feeling of being miles away from civilization while we were there. The scenery is breathtaking and the wildlife abundant. Most of the wildlife we saw was too far away for a good photo even with my telephoto lens.

Celebrating 12 Years of Wandering Dawgs

I started the Wandering Dawgs blog in March, 2013 as a way to document our 4 month RV journey from Georgia to Alaska and back. In the beginning, the only people who read my posts were friends and family. Today, I have blogging friends from all around the world! I recently celebrated the 12th anniversary of Wandering Dawgs! Many thanks to everyone who reads my posts and leaves me comments.

Many thanks to Egidio for this challenge Lens-Artists #341 – It’s a Wild Life

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #340- Portraits

March 20, 2025Posted in Birds, Photography, WildlifeTagged Lens-Artists, Photo Challenge, Portraits, wildlife photography39 Comments

Ritva’s challenge is Portraits. She says “Whether you choose to ask a stranger, do a self-portrait, take the portrait of a friend, family member, or acquaintance, or photograph animals and birds, the goal is to connect with another person or subject and tell their story through your image.”

I enjoy nature and wildlife photography and am not comfortable asking strangers if I can take their picture. I didn’t have to ask this young man to pose for a portrait. I was holding up my phone taking pictures of a Junkanoo Band from the Bahamas performing as part of a St. Patrick’s weekend celebration when he walked over to me and posed. He liked having his picture made!

I’m much more comfortable capturing bird and other animal portraits.

This bear and the female elk seemed to pose for me.

I will end with my favorite portrait of Blondie, our beloved Yellow Lab who was part of our lives for many years. She’s been gone since 2017. I still miss her every day.

Many thanks to Ritva for this challenge Lens-Artists #340 – Portraits

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #339 – Life Changes

March 16, 2025Posted in Photography, WildlifeTagged Lens-Artists, Life Changes, Photo Challenge, wildlife photography34 Comments

For this challenge Anne asks us to share what has enriched and/or changed our life.

I’ve had many changes in my life but what changed my life the most was surviving ovarian cancer. In July, 2010 I began a ten month battle with ovarian cancer. I am grateful that my cancer has not returned since I finished treatment.

Most cancer survivors I know say that the cancer changed them. I know it changed me. I look at the world differently now. I have learned that life can change in the blink of an eye and no one knows what tomorrow will bring. I have learned that life is too short to put things off. I have learned it is important to enjoy life every day. I know that every day is a gift.

Two of my passions are travel and photography. One of the things that kept me going during treatments was planning an RV trip to visit family and visit a few bucket list places. We began the trip two weeks after I received the good news that I was in remission.

The RV trip was just what we both needed. We called it the “Celebration Journey”. Every day was an adventure and I was never at a loss for something interesting to photograph. The header image of the two seahorses was taken at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga near the end of our journey. The rest of the images are of some of the highlights from the trip.

We camped with a view of Cypress trees at Lake Bistineau State Park, Louisiana

We met some Texas Lounghorns at Copper Breaks State Park, Texas

We explored the Petroglyphs at Petroglyphs National Monument in New Mexico with my brother and his wife

We visited the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado

We saw lots of Elk in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

We saw herds of Bison in Custer State Park, South Dakota

We went to the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Itasca State Park in Minnesota with our daughter’s family

After we returned home I continued to enjoy my photography and we have been on many more fun adventures since then.

Many thanks to Anne of Slow Shutter Speed for this challenge Lens-Artists #339 – Life’s Changes

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

Sunday Stills: Checking things off my Bucket List

November 4, 2024Posted in Alaska, Hawaii, Photography, Travel, WildlifeTagged Bucket List Images, Ireland, Scotland, Sunday Stills19 Comments

Terri’s challenge is to share images of places or things that are on our bucket list.

I created a bucket list many years ago. I’ve been checking things off and adding more items ever since.

Checking travel destinations off my bucket list.

Ireland and Scotland

Hawaii

Alaska

New York City

Statue of Liberty with Manhattan Skyline

Checking wildlife sightings off my bucket list.

Bull Elk Bugling in Cataloochee Valley, NC

My bucket list is constantly changing. I keep checking things off and adding new ones. Terri’s challenge has inspired me to start checking off a few more items!