Eye to Eye

"Eye to Eye"

Male rufous hummingbird

I loved being eye to eye with this little fellow for several hours. Wherever he went, I followed. I did not have to travel far because he stayed around using this yucca plant to defend his territory!

Location: Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden,

Arcadia, California

Sweet Dreams

“Sweet Dreams”

Judy Royal Glenn Photography

Cades Cove, Tennessee is a magical place. If you have never been, I highly suggest it. 

There is an 11-mile loop through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You never know what you will see, but it probably will be a black bear. I’ve also seen deer, turkeys, coyotes, a bobcat, and other wildlife.

This little fellow enjoyed filling his tummy until he got plum tired and took a nap in the crook of this tree. After a short snooze, he was right back at it! 

He picked a good tree right off the loop road where he put on a show for all those passing by. 

Georgia

“Georgia”

Judy Royal Glenn Photography

Georgia is my first male monarch butterfly that I have raised from an egg. It has been a rewarding, yet arduous process. 

He wasn’t doing very well and wasn’t thriving. He would lie on his side and not do anything. I turned my guest bathroom into Georgia’s spa. I warmed the room with a small heater, cut up fresh orange slices, and made some honey water for him to feed on.

He got much stronger, and I released him two days later due to all the rain from hurricane Florence.

He was tagged with a special tag from Monarch Watch. This tiny tag can be used to track their migration to Mexico. If found, the tag should be reported through the Monarch Watch website.

Backstory:

I now have an inkling of an idea of how it feels to have lived in the depression. Milkweed, their source of food, was a rare commodity. I purchased one milkweed plant in the spring and a female monarch laid a billion eggs on it. I had to drive out-of-town to buy more because none could be found in Athens.

Those four plants I bought also had a billion eggs! This cyclical cycle played out over and over again leading me back to buy six more plants.

There were times that I did not know if I would have enough to feed my babies. I adopted three caterpillars to a friend and helped feed her monarchs from my plants knowing I may not have enough. 

Scraps of leaf bits fell into the pots, and I would scrounge up what I could to put in the center of the caterpillar cage to create a smorgasbord of food.

Another friend helped by giving me some of her milkweed, and she knew where I could adopt out some of my caterpillars. In total, I adopted out 26 caterpillars.

My friend that I adopted three caterpillars to knew someone which led to her bringing me two young milkweed plants. I now know I will have enough. The Lord provided milkweed right when I needed it!

Note how he has his head turned to look at me. I have never seen a butterfly do that!

Here is Georgia's spa:

To purchase wildlife and nature fine art prints, please visit my website:

https://www.judyroyalglennphotography.com

Location: Athens, Georgia

In Remembrance

“In Remembrance”

Judy Royal Glenn Photography

The terrible memories of 9/11 are part of our past as a nation, but they do not define us. I wanted to honor all those lost by posting a photograph of a lily. 

Lilies symbolize so many things. The calla lily has been associated with faith, purity, and holiness.

Location: Athens, Georgia 

Pierced

 

“Pierced”'

Judy Royal Glenn Photography

A great blue heron was in search of an early lunch as he scoured the water’s edge. The brim didn’t have good luck for the day.

Location: Rome, Georgia

To purchase wildlife and nature fine art prints, please visit my website:

https://www.judyroyalglennphotography.com