Still had the macro lens on, so this dragon fly was next. I had to take the extension tube off and this is still more than 1:2, so really more a close-up, than a macro photo! (It kept flying away when I tried to get to macro distance!)
Sam’s flower growing in last year’s garden in a bucket.
Dogwoods are blooming.
2017 started with a hike through the trails at Carolina Beach State Park. One of my resolutions this year is the #52hikechallenge – to average one hike a week during the year.
Hike #1 of the year, a big loop hitting almost every trail in the park, 2 hours and 40 minutes and ~6 miles. We had two goals:
Sugarloaf Trail, leading to Sugarloaf sand dune, a 55 foot tall dune used on navigation charts since 1663 for river pilots on the Cape Fear River.
Someone left a rope swing.
and Flytrap Trail, searching for wild Venus Flytraps – thanks to the eagle eyed Clarks for finding a pair of them –
just a cactus, but cool to see it with fruit in the “wild”
On the way back to the start, we saw a bunch of buzzards in the woods – there must be something there – so we investigated….
a fresh coyote
fox
feet and ears
?
We debated why so many remains in one spot. Choice 1 – Park employees dump road kill here. Choice 2 – Park employees kill problem animals and dump here (but if the fox was suspected of rabies, seems unlikely) Choice 3 – We have entered a VERY BAD place.
Before heading home, we headed back to the beach and just watched the ocean. Welcome 2017!
Needed a POD, and I own a 50mm f1.4
A POD for my mom, a spider, macro greater than 1:1
A weed
An acorn
I found an old slide copy stand and took the bellows off and used them on my 55mm Macro, so this is something greater than 1:1 – hand held, can’t wait to try some real macro.
Nikon 55mm Macro.
Flowers and ant.
A lovely day at Merchants Millpond State Park.
A quick kayak….
Looking at swamp flowers – A Blue Flag Iris (may not be just a swamp flower, but this one was)
And petting a baby alligator.
