Audubon Newhall Preserve

There are things to see in Hilton Head away from the beach. This pretty little park has hiking trails and is blessedly uncrowded -- there was only one other car in the parking lot when I arrived.

Despite the Audubon name, there weren't a lot of birds. I could hear them, but saw only a few flashes of bright feathers in the undergrowth. It was still lovely to walk on the trails with the trees towering overhead and sit on a bench by the pond and absorb the quiet.

The Common Morpho

I spent the most time chasing these frustrating little guys around the butterfly room.

The underside of their wings has a beautiful pattern in browns and golds, but the top is this brilliant blue. Unfortunately as soon as they touched down they tended to close their wings and keep them closed, as in the top photo where several of them are hanging out on a piece of pineapple.

I really wanted a picture of the blue wings, and while none of these are great, I did, quite literally, sweat for them.

More flutterbyes

Monarch

Well, this was unexpected. I went to the Natural History museum to see an exhibit of award-winning travel photographs. The photos were wonderful, but I spent more time in the butterfly room, despite heat, humidity and more than one screaming child who was terrified by the big bugs flying everywhere.

I wasn't prepared to take macro photos on this trip, but some of the butterfly shots came out better than I thought they would. Here's a monarch sipping oh so delicately from a delicious pink flower.

Forest stump

Sorry -- I couldn't help myself.

This stump, bedecked with lichens and grasses and clovers and various green things I have no name for, is in the Strathmashie Forest, where we made a short stop to stretch our legs and hike to a waterfall.