Some final shots from North Carolina

We were staying at friends just outside Silk Hope in Chatham county. Wonderful weather and the possibility of seeing the river otter one more time got me up every morning. So much beauty left in the late fall - leaves and flowers and birds and ...... I never tire of going out into their land.

Morning at the pond.

Being checked out by a black-headed vulture.

Sunshine on the grasses

Slim in her (latest) favorite spot.

Remnants of fall...

Ferrington Village now has goats with colors just like their cows...

Morning mist.

Evening flames.

Loving it here!

60 degrees, warm wind, blue shies and sun - this is not winter!  A gorgeous Thanksgiving day all around.
Some shots from around the property!

Toothy!

Zen in the pond.

Late sun on our friends house.

Otter sunning himself!

Catching a drop.

Carolina Blue day!

Spending time in North Carolina

We're with friends in NC for Thanksgiving, hanging out and being nourished by the land and each other. Here's a few shots from the last couple of days.

Just stuff...

Walking back through old photos from the refuge I found these outrageously gorgeous Cinnamon Teal pair from 2009. There are some small ponds just as you enter the refuge and in the spring there are all sorts of birds there! Go slow..

This Harrier was just after the snowstorm this past week - the mountains, water, grasses, and light all make it a neat shot.

After the storm - at the refuge

The refuge was teeming with activity today - I saw more Northern Harriers than I have seen in my last 10 visits! Kestrels, GBH's, Western Grebes, Mallards, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Red-tailed Hawks - all took time to say hello!

White-faced Ibis and his meal!

Dancing Duet Grebes

GBH

Harrier about to try for a small bird for a meal.

Sneaking away!

Blackbirds flocking!

Mallards getting away.

Symmetry in the pumpkin field.

Showing off!

Moon

Clear and Sunny!

Another beautiful day here in Zion - so spent a little time at the wildlife refuge. Mostly enjoyed being out - and got very lucky being in the right place at the right time for a nice shot of a male pheasant.  Hunters all around and this guy was very sneaky!

Miscellania

Locust tree leaves in fall color.

Practicing for the super moon!

Canyon light

Coming down Big Cottonwood Canyon as the sun was setting - light on the trees was spectacular. Hard to capture (for me) but here's a couple of tries.

Why did the pheasant cross the road?

Diana and I spent a couple of hours at the refuge this morning to see what we could see. Raptors were non-existent! But there were some birds to admire - other than the 1000's of ducks that are hiding out from the hunters!
Here's some of what we saw...