NC Audubon Annual Meeting in Blowing Rock, NC

Last week I drove out to the NC Audubon meeting and to get a chance to see the mountains.. This sign on my trip made me laugh!

in the mountains of western North Carolina!

driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway with the top down!
these pictures cannot do justice to the majestic scenery.....



so many beautiful wildflowers growing in the mountains....
unidentified flowers .....
wild azaleas....
The members of the Audubon Society were amazing. They could hear a bird a mile away and identify it. I was in AWE much of the time. Using the scopes and my binoculars I "saw" many new birds but my pictures aren't that clear, too much foliage and distance. But here are some samples.

yellow warbler...
Cedar waxwing....
Tree swallow....
Scarlet tanager....
Meadowlark on a fence hiding behind flowers.... saw my first bobolink at the same place, but no pictures....
Least flycatcher....
Eastern Kingbird....
pair of cedar waxwings..... nest was nearby....
Fluffy Eastern bluebird...
Baltimore oriole who wouldn't look at me...
One of our fellow "birders" found this indigo bunting on the side of the road. Happy ending is that a trip to the local shelter resulted in success!
When I got home this cute creature was crawling around behind my home.... gives a new meaning to "painted" turtle.... wonder what the story is?
Discovered lots of fragrant gardenias blooming behind my deck!

Mother's Day and More

Started Mother's Day by taking a long walk on the beach. Here is a fish that isn't celebrating. Don't know what kind of fish this is. Any ideas?At the southern part of the island the least terns are still busy taking over the landscape.
I think this is a Wilson's plover.
Love how this oystercatcher is dominating the sand dune.
And here is some kind of sandpiper... I can't tell them apart.
This trio of pelicans was out fishing.
On the way home I stopped at a nearby pond and this green heron was grooming.
This green heron is nesting in the shrubs.
And an Eastern Bluebird put in an appearance.
Here is Lacey waiting in the upstairs window.
She ran downstairs and pushed Buddy out of the downstairs window.
John, Jess, and Dave made dinner for me at John & Jess's house. This is the first time in 5 years that I have been able to celebrate Mother's Day with my kids.
Two new flowers for my deck!
My deck is my "garden/yard".
And the southern magnolias are blooming!

Green Swamp Preserve and Airlie Garden

One of the most unique places to visit in Brunswick County is the Green Swamp Nature Preserve. In fact, the Green Swamp is the largest swamp in North Carolina with the preserve covering over 15,000 acres. And luckily for me the Cape Fear Audubon Society planned a bird walk there this morning!

there were lots of spiders that weave sheet like webs and the spider hangs under the web.... here is one example

several different kinds of pitcher plants grow throughout this area.....






a new bird for me is this Bachman's sparrow

and then home to drive the tram for tours at Airlie Gardens..... there were two weddings being held there.... the highlight of my day was driving 16 month old Colin and his parents on what he called the "choo-choo"....

the magnolia trees are blooming and the smell truly perfumes the area....
here is another picture of the 465 year old live oak
the Canada goose is still sitting on her nest.....

a close-up of her three eggs....
happily there is still one cygnet