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 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Eastern Box Turtle, Terrapene carolina. Tortoise with hinged shell. The plastron bottom of the shell is hinged, allowing the box turtle to completely close it shell. Walton County, Georgia, USA. Thursday, 8:16 AM - One of my co-workers brought in an Eastern Box Turtle that his German Shepherd had found and threw around like a chew toy. A few marginal scutes were broken off the front of his carapace, but it otherwise seemed okay. A few characteristics identified this nice specimen as a male. Male box turtles have more of a concave plastron then females. Their eyes also tend to be more red than the females. This particular guy had some strikingly red eyes… no Photoshop enhancements here! I took advantage of some time and took him out for a photoshoot. I couldn’t resist placing him on some upright posts nearby for that “Turtle on the Fencepost” shot.
 Tortoise with hinged shell. The plastron bottom of the shell is hinged, allowing the box turtle to completely close it shell. Walton County, Georgia, USA.  Tortoise with hinged shell. The plastron bottom of the shell is hinged, allowing the box turtle to completely close it shell. Walton County, Georgia, USA.  Tortoise with hinged shell. The plastron bottom of the shell is hinged, allowing the box turtle to completely close it shell. Walton County, Georgia, USA.  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica, perched on telephone wire with mud in beak to build a nest. North American Swallow. Their nests are often easy to spot under the eaves or inside of sheds, barns, bridges and other structures. Monroe, Walton County, Georgia, USA. Thursday, 2:04 PM - The Barn Swallows are frequently skimming just above the smooth pond water behind the shelter. Their constant perching on the eves of the fleet maintenance building next door means their tell-tale mud nests must be located in the vicinity. On this particular day, I noticed that each time I went out the back door of my office, a pair of swallows was on a bundle of wires going from our admin building to the shop next door. Taking the time to watch, I noticed they would leave and return with beaks-full of mud. They quickly began slapping that mud on top of the wire just under the gutter. In just a matter of hours a nest was well under way. It was totally completed by the end of the following day. “During the breeding season keep an eye on mud puddles, as Barn Swallows come to the ground to pick up mud and grass for nesting materials. Their mud nests are often tucked under the eaves of barns and stables, on structures near playing fields, or under bridges.” source  Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica, perched on telephone wire with mud in beak to build a nest. North American Swallow. Their nests are often easy to spot under the eaves or inside of sheds, barns, bridges and other structures. Monroe, Walton County, Georgia, USA.  Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica, perched on telephone wire with mud in beak to build a nest. North American Swallow. Their nests are often easy to spot under the eaves or inside of sheds, barns, bridges and other structures. Monroe, Walton County, Georgia, USA.  Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica, perched on telephone wire. Monroe, Walton County, Georgia, USA.  Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica, perched on telephone wire. Monroe, Walton County, Georgia, USA.  Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica, perched on telephone wire. Monroe, Walton County, Georgia, USA.  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Green Heron; Walton County, Georgia Thursday, 9:08 AM - On my trip to Illinois in the last week of May, between graduations and family get-togethers, I just barely had time to go on a few long runs. Two runs took me by Peter Exner Marsh in Huntley. The trails were flooded, but on the front edge of the preserve I spotted two large, gray Sandhill Cranes and two rusty-colored, gangly babies walking under their mothers’ long legs. But no camera on my runs. Back home in Georgia we have one of those rare, gorgeous days that almost simulated the wonderful weather in Illinois. A strong cool breeze uncharacteristically lacking humidity is blowing across the shelter pond. Large, billowing white clouds provide patches of shade as they roll across the bright blue sky. The morning temperature is in the cooler, upper sixties.  Green Heron; Walton County, Georgia While out near the Sheriff’s firing range taking photos of a Box Turtle, two Green Herons flush out of the duckweed bog to my left. Armed only with my 200 mm lens, I can’t get too close a shot. I’ve seen a Green Heron back here before, but never a pair sitting in the same tree. I head back to the office for a longer lens. Coming back ten minutes later after retrieving my 600mm lens from my office, one heron is gone and the other atop a tall Sweetgum Tree. He belts out a few harsh croaks while swaying back in forth in the strong breeze before flying off. Walton County, Georgia 
 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  A large, vibrantly blue bunting with an enormous silver bill and chestnut wingbars. The male Blue Grosbeak sings a rich, warbling song from trees and roadside wires. He and his cinnamon-colored mate often raise two broods of nestlings in a single breeding season. They are widespread but not abundant across the southern U.S., and are expanding their range. Blue Grosbeaks are heavily parasitized by cowbirds, which lay their own eggs in the grosbeak’s nests. Saturday, 8:01 AM – A gray, but brightening sky. A layer of lowering fog has filtered the sunrise. It’s a little damp, but 66°. Having a pre-run cup of coffee on my back patio. An Eastern Phoebe takes a bath in the dew-laden grass. Some of the usual birds are at the feeders: chickadees, cardinals, titmice… but a few unusual visitors have passed through this morning as well. First, a pale gray Opossum, his fine fur damp from the morning dew, ambles across the backyard. He trotted from near the firewood stack, off to the right and out into the woods behind my shed. Next, a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird stops for a quick drink at the nectar feeder. The last several years, the female hummers were “regular” visitors. But not so this year. I’ve only seen this male make occasional visits, such as this morning. And the last uncommon visitors were a pair of Blue Groskbeaks. My wife joined me with a cup of coffee when I saw some blue at the seed feeder. I quickly went inside for my telephoto and confirmed the sighting. I tried to tiptoe through the wet grass for a closer shot, but spooked them both off. Athens, Georgia  Female Blue Grosbeak; Clarke County, Georgia  
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In December 1993 I came to know the Designer and Creator of this wonderful planet and its creatures: Jesus Christ.
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