Nature Calling: Birds, Butterflies and Blooms

 Happy Labor Day everyone!  How are you spending your day?  We decided to get outside and enjoy some nature on this last official holiday of summer.  We took a ride down to the Kenwood Boat Ramp  and Recreation Park,  and I was not disappointed in the variety of natural beauties awaiting to be photographed.  

September is known for being a busy butterfly month! It seems that all the summer cocoons have burst open and there are butterflies everywhere, tasting the last blooms of summer!  This Gulf Fritillary (actually there were several of them) were enjoying these pretty little yellow flowers along the shore of the boat ramp...

Along the other side of the boat ramp canal was this beautiful Little Blue Heron, searching for some breakfast:

Soon this American White Ibis flew in to join him.

I love seeing their mirror images in the water:

Hello!

Soon they both flew away to bigger places to do their fishing away from prying eyes and cameras.

So I wandered around for a minute through the trees and saw this huge white mushroom/toadstool...

It had to stand about 8" tall and the top was as least 5 inches across.

That was pretty amazing!

Nearby was this other very dark mushroom:

I looked it up online, and found out it is called Old Man of the Woods,  and that link will tell you more about it. They say it is edible, but I am not one to experiment with wild mushrooms found in the woods. I'll leave that to the experts!

Since it is September I am starting my watching for signs of Autumn/Fall...and here is the first sign...this leaf of the American Sweet Gum tree.  

Here in Florida we don't get a lot of pretty colored fall leaves, so we grab at any opportunity to see something that resembles and Autumn leaf! LOL.  

Back at home in my own yard my Bottlebrush Bush has been blooming profusely since we've been having some good rain.  And the butterflies LOVE IT!  

There's another Gulf Fritillary enjoying the blossoms:

Can you see him?

This bush has been quite attractive to the Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly, and there have been several on it at the same time, flitting from blossom to blossom...

I tried to get a video of them on the bush, but this one flew away as soon as I got too close, however, if you look closely you will see a bee or two on there as well.

Then I was happy to see that my new batch of zinnias are finally blooming, but there are really small blossoms. Probably because I didn't fertilize them.  

Sorry these may be a little blurry. I couldn't get them to stay still because it was kind of breezy out there...

Oh, there's a bonus picture of Big Foot  here: 

LOL.

And this pretty little Marigold wanted to smile for the picture as well:

So that's how I've spent today so far. How about you?  Tomorrow's Tuesday 4 will have more questions about that, so be sure to tune in.

Jesus reminds us to come to Him when we are tired and heavy laden with work and concerns, and He will give us rest.  It's good to take a day to just enjoy God's Creation all around us and rest in knowing that God is with us and He is always there to help us carry our burdens....

Matthew 11:28-30  NKJV

28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, 

and I will give you rest. 

29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 

30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

I hope you've enjoyed this little respite from your labors!