Some people go fishing.  I like to watch for hummingbirds.  These lovely little winged creatures dive and dart over stands of milkweed and other sweet flowers, and once in a while they stop long enough to suck up some nectar while I get a quick snap.  Those wings are beating so fast that even my very fast shutter speed cannot fully capture them.  These colorful small birds are part of the great cycle of life in nature.

Grasshoppers are another tiny part of the large fabric of natural rejuvenation each spring and summer.  This guy was climbing the stalk of a milkweed.  Just look at the intricate nature of the shell on this beauty!

Many insects exist to feed other species.  Here’s a dragonfly devouring another fly…. yummy, I’m sure.  Below is a more benign view of the double-winged dragon…

This yellow moth also feeds on milkweed.  Sadly, however, I’ve seen no monarch butterflies for the second year in a row….. the monarchs are in decline around the world.

One more beautiful ruby-throated hummingbird.

Enjoy!