I’ve been outside a lot this month, but mostly camera-free… sometimes I really like to enjoy the outside with no cameras or distractions. But I found some photos I never shared from last month at Lake Lotus. It is a little place full of wonder!

This last photo is a Limpkin. The park ranger told me how it got stuck in a fish line and hook, the fisherman told the rangers and they went out to untangle the line. By the time they got to the Limpkin it had untangled itself but it still has a fish hook stuck in it’s side. You can see it in the photo. Poor thing!

Birds, bugs, and blooms. Spring!

The last one is Linville Falls. I have seen many waterfalls in Georgia and North Carolina and this was the most impressive, albeit in person and not so much from this photo.

I have had many requests for this field guide painting… butterflies!

Featuring Buckeye, Mourning Cloak, Viceroy, Monarch, Red Admiral, Queen, Question Mark, Great Swallowtail,  and Great Spangled Fritillary.

I already made prints and put them up on Etsy, here.

Last week when I was in North Carolina I spent a lot of time watching the birds around my parents house. This time the highlight was definitely the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, of which there are 4 frequenting the feeder. Very entertaining as they were almost always there, often chattering and fighting with each other.

Another highlight, babies! There were 6 or 7 Wild Turkey babies. And many juvenile birds coming to the feeder, plus a family of Bluebird’s with 3 juveniles out in the field, stayed too high for photos but I admired them very much with my binoculars.

And then there are bugs… lots of bugs. Lightning bugs in the field at night! So cool! And always butterflies in the garden.

Day 6 in North Carolina was a stay in day. Well, not so much staying in! Luckily not going anywhere in North Carolina is pretty exciting with beautiful flowers, butterflies, interesting insects, and birds just out the front door, and a short-ish walk down to the river.

Fancypants Wild Turkey

Sorry for the delay, super busy unpacking and settling into my new apartment since I got home from my trip to NC. Here are some more photos from day 3 taken around the homestead.

Day 2 in North Carolina was spent with visiting, backyard bird watching, and a jaunt to Asheville for supplies. So skip ahead to Day 3, a beautiful day spent at the NC Arboretum! Butterflies galore, and many other little critters too.

I am currently enjoying the beautiful weather and SPRING of the North Carolina mountains!

I arrived on Friday afternoon. I can’t believe it’s already Tuesday and I am halfway through this trip! Sad! Spring is in full swing here… flowers, birds, butterflies, and all sorts of things buzzing around…

It’s the season for wild blackberries! They are so delicious and fun to pick. I filled a pint today and there were still plenty left for this Catbird.

There are lots of little creatures out there on the blackberry bushes.

Last weekend while birdwatching I saw two firsts, one was a Northern Gannet, the other a Sora. It’s easy for me to have firsts since I haven’t been birdwatching seriously (actually IDing birds) for very long. I think I may have been lucky to see the Sora though, as it was really hiding…

Others from the day…

Osprey

Northern Flicker

Savannah Sparrow

Wilson’s Snipe

Red-winged Blackbird

Gorgeous thistles very busy with butterfly and bee action!