Geese at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park on a spring day

During spring break we visited many places. One place I'd never spent any time at was Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, which is located in Chantilly, which is located on the western end of Fairfax County. During our afternoon we saw numerous critters - land, water and air. 

Over the next few posts I'm going to highlight some of the wonderful nature we saw. Today I wanted to share some photos of geese that were chilling out in the pond.

I liked how the reflections came out in this one

Swimming over to shore

"Yeah, I'm talkin' to you!", says the goose

Time for lunch!

Rainy day azaleas and bugs

We've had almost three straight weeks of daily rain here in Northern Virginia, some days lighter than others. An upside of having so much rain is that the water that falls is so pretty. 

One morning during a reprieve I went out to take some photos of the recently bloomed azaleas. These photos are the result.

Raccoons stop by to have a late dinner

These raccoons decided to stop by for a late dinner at the end of April. We were visiting family in New York and were fascinated that these critters crept up the deck to share food with the feral cats. 

I hadn't seen a raccoon in the wild since I left New York and had forgotten how bold they can be. Usually, raccoons are critters I won't get too close to, but these guys seemed more afraid once spotting the humans.

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Road trips: Gazing upon Pennsylvania clouds

We recently spent a weekend in Pennsylvania's lovely Poconos. Despite the fact it was rainy and cold for most of our time there, it was a nice weekend. It was 42 - 47 degrees driving home until we reached the southern part of the state, but the views, blue skies and clouds made it appear as if it was really the mid-May day it was. 

Goose swimming in the tidal basin gives a wave

Took this photo of this goose "waving" at the crowd. One of those rare moments I catch wildlife in motion. This shot was taken during the cherry blossom peak down in Washington, D.C.

'Mailbox bees' share a kiss

Every spring carpenter bees come live in our mailbox post and drill another hole or two. Not too long ago I watched them dance around a bit (there were four of them) and I caught these two "kissing" repeatedly. I wasn't quick enough to catch them in the act by the time I got my camera out, but came close. 

We call these flying critters our "mailbox bees". 

Wildflowers at Chapman's Mill (Broad Run, Virginia)

Last weekend we took a ride out to Chapman's Mill in Broad Run, Virginia. After we explored the mill, I couldn't help but notice the wildflowers that were scattered in a few places surrounding the structure. I have seen these for years on the East Coast and I don't know what they are called. I've been calling them wild daisies.

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