Goldfinch in Sycamore

This gold finch, in winter plumage, was feasting on the seeds of a sycamore tree near the James River.  It was rather far away and very high up in the tree but I was able to zoom in and crop the photo to produce this image.

Gray Squirrel 2

This gray squirrel came by to get in on the action as birds were dropping seeds from my backyard feeder.

Three Amigos

These painted turtles remind me of three friends posing for a portrait.  They were basking in the sun, soaking up some solar energy in the Great Dismal Swamp when I took this photo.

Buttercup

A simple buttercup grew in a patch of grass along the trail I was hiking.  After stopping to take photos of something more compelling, I noticed this flower and thought it deserved a little attention.

Tiny Forest

The moss and saplings growing from this semi-submerged log make up a tiny little forest of their own.  A microcosm of the world around them.

Meerkat 1

This meerkat and its friends were digging in their sandy enclosure at the Metro Richmond Zoo when we visited in early April.

Tri-Colored Pine Cone

I’m not much of a pine cone photographer (is there such a thing?) but the colors on this cone really caught my eye.  It grew from the branch of a fallen tree that was clearly still very much alive.

Painted Turtle 1

This painted turtle was sunning itself on a cool spring day which probably allowed me to get closer than I otherwise might have.  There were a few other turtles nearby but I like the coloration of this one.

Alpaca 1

This alpaca was standing with the sun on its back when I approached.  In order to properly expose its face I had to massively over expose the background.  In this case that was probably for the best.  There was nothing particularly scenic behind the alpaca and the white background really focuses attention on the animal.

Curious Horned Grebe

I spotted this Horned Grebe swimming in one of the canals at The Great Dismal Swamp.  It didn’t seem to mind me watching it at all.  It just swam around, in and out of the shadows and would occasionally dive under water.  I was able to get quite a few photos of it but this is one of my favorites.