I've taken a few short hikes this summer and loved every minute of my time in nature.
Do you see the little Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in my new banner?
The web is full of caterpillars so he appears to be getting ready for a feast!
When I drove onto the dirt road that runs along the preserve, I saw this in the field.
It looked like a couple of critters waiting to greet me!
But it was a pair of cute cactus plants!
There were so many Eastern Meadowlarks singing their beautiful song.
Some of them flew along beside me as I walked.
There were a lot of Bobwhites calling each other but I didn't get photos of them.
I did see a nice flock of Red-winged Blackbirds though with some young ones in the flock.
This is one of the most beautiful butterflies I've ever seen and it lit on some frogfruit.
Checkered White Butterfly
And I will report that I wasn't just hanging around the house all this time goofing off like this critter.
This Raccoon was in our backyard for a few days, cleaning out our bird feeders.
We left them empty for a couple of days and I think he's moved on now.
I got a lot done around the house on my break. So when the weather improves, we'll be ready to go camping!
What's new with you? What did I miss?
48 comments:
...the Checkered White Butterfly is a showstopper!
I've never seen a white butterfly like this one. How beautiful. You certainly have a good eye for capturing nature at its best!
Goodbye to the raccoon!!!
What beautiful creatures!
Loved the white butterfly and the resting raccoon!
Have fun and have a great weekend!
Raccoon was cute but probably a nuisance. I didn't know what those ears were until the close up.
Hope your summer going well.
I see you've enjoyed your ride. I enjoy knowing everything you have seen since the images are very good. The butterfly is very beautiful, the cactus how did it appear there! in the middle of nowhere?!
Greetings from
siempreseraprimavera.blogspot.com
Those cactus in the meadow are poster worthy!
Can you imagine somebody posting a question asking what kind of critter they are. So funny. I was thinking and thinking what they could be., Florida jackrabbits? lol
the butterfly is gorgeous, the critters in the field made me smile, I thought it was some critter until the 3rd photo and my favorite that made me feel Joy and laugh are the raccoon pics. hilarious and cute
Hello again Diane,:=)
this is my first day back after a 3 month's break. The Blue-grey Gnat-catcher is really cute. I didn't notice it in your new Header but the web is enormous. I wouldn't like to come across the spider that made it. :=)
Lovely butterfly, a real beauty, and the lounging Raccoon and cactus made me smile. Loved the images of the birds too.
Enjoy your weekend
Sonjia.
So happy to see the Eastern Meadowlark.
I thought the cactus were cats. :)
A wonderful post for sure!
What a great set of photos! I love the banner.
Awesome hikes Diane - you managed to spot quite a variety of critters! I've never seen one of those Checkered White Butterflies - they're lovely. I'll have to be on the lookout.
Thanks for posting!
The white butterfly is elegant and pretty. That little rascal raccoon looks content sitting up there in your tree. A neat photo of the grey bird and the web. I'm glad to hear you got a lot done around your house. It's always nice to catch up with everything.
Hope your summer days are pleasant and not too hot.
~Sheri
These are sweet! Yes, I see the bird in your header. How cute! Aloha
The various birds you identified made it educational for me
What lovely photos. A wonderful shot of the butterfly. We have an old raccoon that lives in an old tree out back. He's been there a few years now.
I do love your nature photos!! The butterfly is gorgeous. I've never seen one like that. The raccoon looks fat and happy! The web/next full of caterpillars is pretty amazing. I hope the bird doesn't get caught in the web!! Happy weekend!
WOW!!! Such cool sightings!! I love them all!
What great photos, I love your banner :)
And that raccoon is sure enjoying his nap.
LOL, that's too funny with the cactus plants. I've never seen a butterfly like that one, it is pretty.
That raccoon looks like he's made himself right at home in that tree.
Hello,
Another wonderful walk with nature!
The Gnatcatcher is a cutie and I love the Meadowlark. I do not see them often around here. The butterfly is a beauty! The raccoon hanging in the tree is a cute sighting too. Wonderful photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend.
Hello. Beautiful photos of birds and butterfly.The raccoon is cute.
Those cacti do look like little critters greeting you!
The raccoon visitor is irresistible — you snapped so many photos all really cute. And what a gorgeous butterfly!
best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Love the little Gnatcatcher in your header photo ~ thanks,
Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
clm ~ A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
i thought about you and wondered if you have been able to get out. we have family in florida and they say it has been very hot. the butterfly is gorgeous and it really landed beautifully for you to photograph it!!
i have never seen a gnatcatcher, it is a very sweet looking bird!! i had to empty my bird feeders to, because my squirrels have been getting on them!! our weather has changed and it has gotten much less humid. i have been lucky to get out for a few rides and some bird watching!! have a great weekend!!
Love the birds singing their hearts out. The butterfly is absolutely gorgeous. Happy weekend, enjoy!
I love that cute little Gnatcatcher. I'm impressed that you were out for a walk in the heat!
Raccoons can sure clean out and destroy lightweight bird feeders.
I love all your birds but especially the gnatcatcher.
Great photos! My favorites are the Butterfly photos
Nice to see you back ...
A lovely collection of photographs and I so agree time spent in nature is wonderful.
All the best Jan
The racoon on the tree and the pair of cactii gave me the biggest chuckle this week LOL! Thank you for sharing with all of us. Be well!
Wonderful photos with captions and a great header too.
More great nature photos. I'd never heard of the Gnatcatcher bird. The weather looks like it was perfect for a walk. Yes, spending time in nature is always nice.
I spotted the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in your banner—adorable!
The cactus plants and singing Eastern Meadowlarks sound enchanting.
The Checkered White Butterfly is stunning, and the raccoon’s antics made me smile.
Happy Sunday, Diane!
What a beautiful series of photos this is.
The blue-gray mosquito catcher is beautiful, the eastern lark is a species that hardly occurs in the Netherlands anymore, there are only a few breeding pairs left.
A raccoon in your garden that is special for here in the Netherlands, we only see this in a zoo.
The butterflies are also very beautiful.
I wish you a beautiful Sunday.
Greetings Irma
Hello, I was impressed with all the birds you saw! The Cactus were so cute!! And that White Butterfly was one I had never seen before. This was a great hike! Thank you for sharing. Stay cool. Love, Aunt Helen
Hello Friend, oh the racoon photos are so cute. They can be so cute, but so naughty at the same time. ;-)
Todo se ve precioso, me encantaron los mapaches. Gracias por tan lindo reportaje. Besos.
Hello; What a lovely, white-colored butterfly. So impressed for the first rare one. We are having so hot days; Take care of yourself & your family, Lot's of Love Miyako;
Sounds like a fantastic summer! These nature sightings are amazing, especially the butterflies and birds.
Sounds like a fantastic summer! Those nature sightings are amazing, especially the butterflies and birds.
Beautiful views and thoughts thank you so much for sharing and enjoy your week and the very last days of July which I can't believe is happening to us! Summer is moving far too quickly!
Redwing blackbirds are so cool looking! Raccoons can be pests, can't they! I love seeing your nature photography, and I thought the cacti were kids wearing mouse ears!
Hi Diane! I’m imagining the singing of the birds in your photos. Sweet. We have smaller versions of your white butterfly in our area. I like to think that the first one I see each day is my dad saying “hello”.
I have to bring in my bird feeders at night to prevent the raccoons from dashing them to the ground. A couple are looking the worse for wear!
Such pretty critters, even the 'surprise' ones (the cacti) That had me fooled as well.
Outstanding photo series!
Love those cactus critters. Have even seen a few down here. Good luck with the raccoon. I've discovered they keep a list of food sources on their iPhones so they remember where you are.
Summer thunderstorms! Love the water but they sure do increase the morning humidity.
Hope you're enjoying the week.
Great set of photos. The cacti are well spotted. They do look like critters!
-Soma
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