One thing about weather in the Carolinas, if you don’t like it, just wait a minute. In my last post a little over a month ago I was out in near-freezing conditions to take a walk in the woods. Then we had sleet. Then astronomical winter started. Today it was warm enough to put on shorts and a T-shirt and wring one last lake trip out of my 2018 boat permit.
A couple months ago, things looked like this:

What a difference a season makes:

So now we’re getting into winter (again?), and everyone is settling in, and not a lot of wildlife is visible. Many have left for the winter, and those here (either wintering or year-round) are keeping a low profile. Like these Cormorants:

And some Buffleheads:

I was trying to get a picture of something else and ended up with this bit of “artwork”:

With the lake level up from recent rains (we’ve been getting a good bit of that lately), I was able to get in to more nooks and crannies around the lake. Like this little spot:

A floating bit of debris up ahead? Or…

It’s not often you see floating debris with a nose and eyes…

Yeah, that was a Beaver.

Turtles were out too catching some late-season sun:

So, that’s most of the major groups, birds, mammals, and reptiles. And one plastic boat.