Blue Ridge Parkway

 

Traveling northeast we followed the Blue Ridge Parkway through North Carolina and Virginia

Canyon Waterfalls

Little River Canyon Waterfalls

We enjoyed following the warbler migration north - Kentucky Warbler

White Azalea

Flame Azalea

Wild Tom Turkey

Prairie Warblers high altitude nesters

Yellow-breasted Chat, hard to see but loud calling pinpointed his location

Flowering or American Dogwood

Tufted Titmouse

Cross Vine Blossom

We spent the night at Moonshine Creek Campground

Red/Purple Trillium

Large Flower Trillium

Nodding Trillium

Enjoyed adding familiar northern birds to our year list - Chipping Sparrow

Daddy Longlegs Spider visits Carolina Allspice

Allspice also called Sweet Bush opens blossoms

One of the many overlooks of the Blue Ridge Mountains

Song Sparrow, our first for the year

White-eyed Vireo

Maidenhair Fern

Many Fern Fiddleheads unfolding

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

American Robin - latest we ever listed them

Sleepy Duskywing Butterfly on False Aster

Carolinaa Wren under Chestnut Oak leaf

Newt in cold spring water pool

Large Diamondback Water Snake sunning

Dew laced Spiderweb

Carolina Chickadee

Common Yellowthroat

Tulip Tree or Yellow Poplar

Tulip Tree Blossom

Black Locust Blossom

Mountain Laurel

Henslow's Sparrow singing

Spittalbug larvae surrounding themselves in protective frothy coating

Wild Geranium

Tent Caterpillar

Jellyfish-like cloud tries to capture the Moon

Man-made Waterfalls

Mabry Mill Waterwheel at historical park

We spent a few days with dear friends Art & Betsy Cavanaugh who took us to a Floyd  Bluegrass Festival.

Farewell to the Blue Ridge Mountains

Love ❤️  & 🙏  Prayers,

Ty & Ida Baumann

Dauphin Island Alabama

 

We are on Dauphin Island in Alabama for Spring Migration.

This is where the birds from the tropics land as they make their long journey north.

There are great places to bird such as the Audubon Bird Sanctuary trails.

Water Lilies grace the lake in the middle of this beautiful nature area.

Lake Gaillard provides wildlife with fresh water on the island surrounded by salt water.

Soft-shelled Turtle

The Pine forest and decidous trees provide shelter for migrating birds

Also for wildlife such as Raccoons

Wood Thrush

Brown Thrasher 

Fish Crow carrying nesting material

Prothonotary Warbler

Hooded Warbler

Blackpoll Warbler

Blue-headed Vireo singing

Red-eyed Vireo

Many birder's flock to Shell Mound Park to watch the migratory birds arrive.

Bell's Vireo, rare treat for the island.  Ida helped many birders hear and find this bird.

Summer Tanager, young male 

Female Summer Tanager

Adult male Summer Tanager

Scarlet Tanager

Worm-eating Warbler actually eating a worm

Worm-eating Warbler

Kentucky Warbler & Prothonotary Warbler

Black & White Warbler

Many trails to take at Shell Mound

Green Anole

Cattle Egrets feed in the swamp at the Audubon Sanctuary

Solitary Sandpiper in swamp habitat

Gulf Coast Box Turtle

Box Turtle feeding on large Millipede

This 6" millipede has so far avoided the turtle menu

Something to beware of when in swamp enviroment is the Cottonmouth Snake

Green Heron eating a Central Newt

Great Crested Flycatcher

Gray Kingbird and an Eastern Kingbird

Birder's sought out this exotic Gray Kingbird and we helped them find it.

Eastern Bluebird

Abundant Yellow-billed Cuckoos

Brown-headed Nuthatch

Pine Warbler

Orchard Oriole on Bottlebrush which is a magnet for birds

Indigo Bunting

Blue Grosbeak

Female & male Blue Grosbeaks

We went with friends on the Ferry to Fort Morgan in persuit of new birds

Common Loon

Brown Pelican in breeding plumage

We drove to Alabama Point and Least Tern fenced nesting area.

Black-Bellied Plover roams the dunes

Least Terns

Sandwich Terns

Sanderling defending his food

One of three Swallow-tailed Kites headed to Florida

American Oystercatcher rock hopping 

Oystercatcher spots oysters

Oystercatcher eating oyster.

Our time here is coming to an end this week.  

We love seeing God's amazing creation every where we go.

❤️ Love & Prayers 🙏 

Ty & Ida Baumann