Brenda Hiles

A box turtle gives me the side-eye after I moved him to safety yesterday in Chatham County. This was the second box turtle I rescued yesterday (plus one pissed off praying mantis). Box turtles are on the move to their winter grounds, so please look out for them.

Pearl crescent butterflies mating at a park in High Point, N.C. #butterflies

A yellow warbler last month at Fort Macon. #birds

A snowy egret on Front Street in Beaufort, N.C. #birds

They’re one of my favorites.

#Caturday with Mick and Simon.

I saw this bird last month at Fort Macon in North Carolina. I think it's a female painted bunting, but she appears to be missing her tail feathers. #birds

A palm warbler last month in Beaufort, N.C. #birds

A hawk staking out a bird feeder behind a shopping center in Greensboro, N.C. #birds

Thank you for posting this. I love your books!

A young male osprey coming in for a landing at an office park in High Point, N.C. #birds

This male American redstart brightened a gloomy afternoon in High Point, N.C. #birds

A black and white warbler on a rainy day in High Point, N.C. #birds

I’ve had the same problem the past few years. I was so happy to actually see one this week.

A northern parula in High Point, N.C. Almost didn't get this posted because autocorrect called it a parolee. #birds

A spider guarding an egg sack in High Point, N.C.

A couple parking lot plovers earlier this month at Fort Macon in North Carolina. The one on the left is a semipalmated plover; the other is black-bellied. #birds

#Caturday? Simon is on it.

A barred owl eating a crayfish last week at a park in Durham, N.C. Red-swamp crayfish are an invasive species here, but the owls, hawks and herons don't seem to mind. #birds

A ghost crab right before he ghosted me. Fort Macon, N.C.

Crabs are so emotional. Croatan National Forest, Swansboro, N.C.

It was early morning. Who knows what he was up to all night!

A black-crowned night heron last week on Front Street in Beaufort, N.C. #birds

The one I have trouble with in North Carolina is the hairy woodpecker. Compared to that, the red-cockaded was easy.

This is probably my favorite butterfly -- a blue skipper. I saw several last week at Fort Macon.

You can tell I don't get to the coast often. When I do, I take photos of crabs.

A marsh rabbit at Fort Macon in North Carolina. Marsh rabbits are aquatic, diving beneath the water to evade predators. They have shorter ears and darker fur than cottontails, and their tails also are dark. I've only had glimpses of them until last week when they seemed to be everywhere. #wildlife

This is my sign for the No Kings rally on Oct. 18

Over in northeast Ohio during the 1960s, the Gideons or whatever they’re called, came into the classroom and handed out Bibles. My mother wasn’t happy about it.

Yesterday was our wedding anniversary. We packed a picnic and drove to a park in Durham. We weren't expecting much in the way of birds, but then this barred owl showed up. I couldn't have had a better gift if we were billionaires. #birds