A Red-winged Blackbird silhouetted against a hazy, smoky summer sunset.

To bumblebee or not to bumblebee, hmmmm? Just can't help myself when I'm sitting with the flowers to follow these guys from flower to flower and watch them hard at work. So, I'll go ahead and bumblebee and hope folks don't tire of seeing images of these wonders of nature.

A Snowberry Clearwing moth enjoying itself at the Milkweed buffet in early July. This sphinx moth is often mistaken for a bumblebee because of its color pattern . . .

While Mama watches with her eaglet in the nest cup, Papa negotiates some stiff southern breezes to deliver dinner for the family.

The rubies have been back for a while now, and it's always great to see them when they return from their southern vacation. No matter what kind of day you're having, they always brighten it up just a little more. Now that the flowers are coming into their own, looking forward to seeing them dart and hover about in the fields.

A Green Heron surveys the lake contemplating its next move . . .

Someone was none too happy about his photo session, squawking and carrying one, and some mean stares to boot. And then the lady of the reeds shows up with a snack in her bill, and that didn't help any. Finally, he settled down, repositioned himself and gave me his best side for a quick portrait.

Aside from the noise and the smoke, the grand fireworks (not the local neighborhood fireworks) are mesmerizing to this photographer because of the light and motion against a black sky, a great combination for some experimentation. Happy 4th of July!

Happy 245th Birthday America!

Close encounter of the Killdeer kind. This sweet Killdeer mommy probably had a nest nearby and wanted to make sure to distract us away from the area, as only Killdeers know how to do (look at me, I'm hurt!). So we didn't linger long . . .