A trip to Lake Mattamuskeet needs to be on everybody’s  list.
 
It was at Lake Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge that the Bald Eagle was re-introduced to NC.
 
The Bald Eagles then made their way inland to Jordan Lake.
 
Try your hardest to get there at sunrise – they are almost always spectacular from the causeway!
 
Adult bald eagle way across the front impoundment at Mattamuskeet.  
This time of the year the eagles can be hard to find at Mattamuskeet.
 
The lake and its surrounding area has beautiful cypress trees.
 
 
The still waters of the lake and the impoundments often give reflections that are wonderfully detailed.
Great Blue Heron fishing.
 
 
The insect life at Mattamuskeet is very diverse – with many different dragonflies.
Did you see the dragonfly shadow?
 
 
The white-tailed deer really enjoy the browsing at the lake.  
 
 
The yellow-billed cuckoo is also found at Jordan Lake.
 I hear rather than see them most of the time.
 
 
The zebra swallowtail butterfly is the only swallowtail in our region with white stripes.
 

Elegant, graceful, simply beautiful, Great Egret
 
 
Eastern Kingbird fledgling – yelling for a parent to feed him.  
 
 
the Common Buckeye butterfly
 
 
A Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly sharing a button bush blossom with some Eastern Bumblebees.
All these insects, along with the Common Buckeye are important pollinators.
 
 
 
 

I was visiting Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, NC, looking to photograph the fall flowers.
A butterfly bush (yes that is its name) caught my attention
as the skippers, cabbage and sulfur butterflies flitted about…
and a single, glowing, male monarch butterfly.
Oh, wow, I thought that all of them had already left for Mexico, their winter home.

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This is an American Snout butterfly.
It has a very descriptive name.
I had a grand time as he explored first my camera
and then my hand – “tasting” the sweat there.
there is a short video of the interaction at http://youtu.be/6FLyHy24XC0

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