Eastern Swallowtail and Monarch Butterflies

Pretty butterflies

A swallowtail and monarch

On prickly thistle

Monarch pollinator

Monarch butterfly

Departing from cone flower

On to pollinate

Monarch on chives blossom

A monarch butterfly visited the chives in our backyard garden yesterday.  It added some nice color!

Monarch in flight

I took a little time shooting pictures of the monarch enjoying the swamp milkweed in our front yard, hoping to get a good action shot.  Thankfully, with digital photography, it allows one to snap away.  I don't think that I would have even tried this years ago with a film camera.

Spontaneous photo opportunities

Common Cormorant

Eastern Kingbird with bug

Went to the park yesterday afternoon to take pictures of a cormorant that I had spotted moments earlier.  These diving birds don't often visit Bassett Creek's shallow pond.

Next I noticed a Eastern Kingbird perched overhead in a tree with a large insect (possibly a dragonfly) in its beak that it was attempting to eat before it escaped.

Dragonfly

After getting a quick shot of the kingbird I soon discovered a cool looking a dragonfly by water's edge.

A couple of American Osprey flew by on an unsuccessful fishing mission (already pictured in yesterday's post).

Monarch on Swamp Milkweed

Goldfinch

While watching for the Osprey I noticed Monarch Butterflies visiting the Swamp Milkweed by water's edge.

Then before I could put my camera away Goldfinches appeared.

Quite a photographic smorgasbord!

Pictures from Wisconsin

Last weekend I had the pleasure of staying at my brother and sister-in-law's Wisconsin cabin. In addition to the wonderful company it was nice to see butterflies, moths, tree frogs, caterpillars and loons.

The dragonfly blog entry from earlier in the week was also of pictures taken while staying at the Fish Lake cabin.

The Giving Tree

White Poplar

White Poplar

I thought of "The Giving Tree" story by Shel Silverstein, when I visited the tree that I loved to take pictures of at the park recently.  It  had been cut down and was still lying nearby.

Monarch Butterfly

In its state of dying it is still managing to provide a perch for birds and butterflies.

Song Sparrow

Pictured are a Song Sparrow, Monarch Butterfly and Eastern Kingbirds on the White Poplar.

An amazing bit of serendipity occurred just this morning, shortly after I took the picture of the Kingbirds.  I met a friend who was on his way to pick up the White Poplar.  He plans to use it in his work making and repairing rustic furniture.  I discovered this after I had already come up with the Giving Tree theme for this blog the night before...

Eastern Kingbirds

Beauty and the beast

While the thistle is one of the most despised weeds, you have to admit there are times it can look pretty dapper. Even the monarch butterfly seems to have been attracted to this one.