Top Photo: Northern cardinal suns itself on railing of Main Wetlands Overlook.

I was about 15 feet or so from the cardinal in the photo above. You can sometimes sneak in closer to birds or other animals when they’re distracted, like the bird here, sunning itself. When the bird turns its head away, take a step forward, then stop, step and stop, each time the bird looks away take a quick and quiet step. Don’t rush it. Be patient. Keep as still as possible. You may be rewarded.

But be forewarned, even if the bird turns away momentarily, you’re still, most certainly, under surveillance.

The hermit thrush in the next photo was not distracted and kept moving away from me, though I did manage to get a quick shot before it flew off for good.

This gray squirrel was very much occupied with eating bald cypress seeds. Although the little tree squirrel did let me get close, it kept at least one eye on me as I watched it devour seed after seed.

You don’t have to be quiet or sneak up on flowers, they’re not as aware of our presence as animals are.

Mahonia blooms in earnest in December here on the museum’s Dinosaur Trail where it was purposely planted to enhance the trail’s theme (Late Cretaceous Period).

Enjoy your walk around the campus!