We all know about the symbiotic relationship between milkweed and the wonderful Monarch butterflies, but there is a dark side to milkweed, especially for bees . . .

And he flies, covering the land Stirring the hearts through all generations of man Poets tell of his bearing, truth on a feathery wind Painters paint from inspiration A beautiful picture that only a memory can bring (Lyrics from "An Occasional Eagle" by Fred Carter, Jr.)

The peonies in these parts start bursting forth in June, and for the longest time I thought ants helped the peonies bloom; they somehow helped the blooms open up. Well, according to this great article by George Vopal from a few years back . . .

"I know he'd be a poorer man if he never saw an Eagle fly . . . " ~ John Denver

Another eagle nesting season will soon be winding down; it goes so fast. For eaglets, the time from hatching to fledging is around 10 to 12 weeks, and those days/weeks before fledging are some of the most fun to observe as they start gaining strength and coordination in their wings by wingercizing . . .

Look at those little pterodactyl feet on this Sandhill Crane colt!

Tree Swallow bogey at 11 o'clock high . . .

When an eagle snags a fish out of the river, and it is on the smallish side, sometimes they just go ahead and eat the little snack before circling back for the next catch . . .

A Sandhill Crane and its days-old colt stroll through the spring grasses . . .

Sometimes you just have to stick your neck out to figure out where you want to go . . .