Whooping Crane – Wandering Dawgs

Lens Artists Photo Challenge #384 – What Astonishes You?

February 7, 2026February 7, 2026Posted in Butterflies, Flowers, Nature, PhotographyTagged caterpillar, glacier calving, Grand Canyon, Landscape, Lens-Artists, Mesa Verde, ocean, Photo Challenge, Redwoods National Park, Trillium, Whooping Crane83 Comments

What have you seen or experienced that has astonished you? The challenge is to include photos about things that astonish you and tell us why you are astonished.

I got the inspiration for this challenge from these words by Mary Oliver from her poem “Sometimes”:

“Instructions for living a life:

Pay attention

Be astonished

Tell about it”

According to the Merrriam-Webster Dictionary the definition of astonished is “feeling or showing great surprise or wonder”.

There are so many astonishing places and things to experience in our world if we just take the time to pay attention to what is around us. Sometimes we can be surprised by something in our own backyard or neighborhood. It may be something in nature or it could be something created by humans like a piece of art or interesting architecture. We may want to travel to see astonishing wonders of nature or things created by humans. The challenge is to show us what astonishes you. What makes you go “WOW”?

I can find wonders all around my neighborhood and my own back yard when I slow down and look around me. It’s the little things like these that bring me joy. I’m astonished that this weird looking caterpillar on the left will become a beautiful Gulf Fritillary like the one on the right.

I plant flowers in my garden to attract hummingbirds, butterflies and other pollinators. During the warm months I keep my hummingbird feeder filled with fresh nectar. No matter how many times I have witnessed it I am always astonished when I see one of the huumers hovering in mid air.

I am always astonished at the vastness and power of the ocean. These waves were crashing on the beach as a tropical storm was approaching Tybee Island, Georgia.

Sometimes my husband and I travel long distances to see astonishing sights. When I pay attention I often find astonishing things I wasn’t expecting to see.

I was in awe of the ancient giant Redwoods in Redwoods National Park in California. I spent most of my time looking up, taking in their enormous size.

And then I looked down at the forest floor and was astonished to discover the beautiful trillium flowers were blooming.

My husband and I have traveled to Arizona twice to visit the Grand Canyon. The canyon is awe-inspiring and makes me feel how truly small I am in the grand scheme of things.

We spent two months in Alaska in 2013 and every day brought new things that astonished me. Seeing and hearing a glacier calving was one of those events that has always stayed with me.

Not only was observing Whooping Cranes in the wild an astonishing experience, knowing that they migrate 2,500 miles from Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge every fall was even more astonishing. After wintering in Texas, they begin their migration back north to Canada about mid March each year. We made a special trip to Texas to see these magnificent birds who once were on the brink of extinction.

I am always astonished when I see ancient structures built by humans that have survived for thousands of years. I’ve never seen the Pyramids or the Great Wall of China but I have seen the Cliff Dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park. How did they build these structures and how did the people survive in the harsh environment?

Last week I enjoyed all of your wonderful shapes and designs in response to Tina’s challenge. Thank you to everyone who joined the challenge..

I hope you will join in for this week’s challenge. I can’t wait to see what astonishes you. Be sure to tag your post with Lens-Artists and include a link back to this post.

Be sure to check back on Saturday, February 14 at noon eastern time when Ritva will be hosting the challenge.

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

Every Day is a Gift

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

More than one Bird Species in a Photo

June 8, 2021Posted in Birds, Nature, PhotographyTagged birdweekly, more than one bird species, Roseate Spoonbill, Sand Hill Crane, Whooping Crane, wood stork19 Comments

Our Bird Weekly challenge this week is to show more than one bird species in a photo. The photos at the top of the page and this next photo were taken in the spring near Goose Island State Park in Texas. The Whooping Cranes and Sand Hill Cranes were in a farmer’s field every morning along with ducks and other bird species.

We wandered around Everglades National Park several times and enjoyed seeing the many bird species there.

Tri Colored Heron and Roseatte Spoonbill at Mrazek Pond 2012.

Spoonbill and Egret at Mrazek Pond, Everglades National Park 2012

At Mrazek Pond, Everglades National Park 2012

Closer to home, I often see Wood Storks sharing the same space with Egrets, Herons or Ibises. This image is one of my favorites of a Wood Stork with an Egret perched on the same tree branch.

Thanks to Lisa for her Bird Weekly Challenge: More than one Bird Species in a photo

Bird Weekly Challenge #30: Birds that begin with the letter “C”

January 14, 2021Posted in Birds, Nature, PhotographyTagged American Coot, birdweekly, Canada Geese, Carolina Chikadee, Cormorant, Northern Cardinal, Photo Challenge, Sandhill Crane, Whooping Crane14 Comments

C is for Cormorant, Cardinal, Canada Geese, Carolina Chickadee, American Coot, Whooping Crane and Sandhill Crane.

Thank you Lisa. for this Bird Weekly Challenge: Birds that begin with the letter “C”

Bird Weekly Challenge #27: Birds with Long Wingspans

January 7, 2021Posted in Birds, Nature, PhotographyTagged American White Pelican, Bald Eagle, birdweekly, long wingspan, Osprey, Photo Challenge, Red Tailed Hawk, Roseate Spoonbill, Whooping Crane14 Comments

The wingspan of the American White Pelican can be as much as nine feet wide. A single pelican is shown in the image above and the next image is a trio flying over the water.