Heron and turtles....

Any walk at the wetlands usually includes a Great Blue Heron and turtles!

 "Big Blue" was standing near the boardwalk when I arrived.  I knew it would move as soon as I started along the walk.

Had to get a couple shots before it flew away.  I always hate to disturb them, but can't get across the boardwalk unless I do.  This one must live there and is fairly unconcerned about people who come by.  It didn't go far away....just to the other side of the small pond.

 I take so many turtle shots, but sometimes that is mostly what I see :-)  There is something irresistible about them that makes me want to take their photos.....or maybe I just am "trigger happy" when it comes to having a camera in my hands and shoot everything I come across.  It's a "disease" caused by holding a camera in your hand.

 This one was right below me from the bridge and didn't seem inclined to slip into the water.

Gave me the opportunity to focus in a bit closer then normal.

 I wondered about the shell on this one.  Old, maybe?

 These two were surrounded in vegetation.

Soaking up the sun.

Critters in the grass and weeds....

Yesterday, everything seemed to be down in the grasses or hidden in the flower field.  Doesn't really make for pretty photos, but I am interested in all the critters I see.

There was a really big Mantis in the goldenrod.  I believe it is a Chinese Mantis and it really blends in well with its surroundings, but is so large you can see it easily once you spot one.

 This one had caught something....a bee I think.  I took a lot of photos because I think they are such weird critters and I was trying to get a really good photo of the head.  I feel like this one is looking at me and saying, "Just keep walking....it's best to mind your own business and leave me alone."

 The best I could do on the face.  Creepy critters!

 Sort of a side view of the head.

 ....and mouth

Ok...enough of this guy!

 Yellow is the color right now.  I think these are Tickseed Sunflowers.  They have such a nice size and really look pretty when you find a field of them.

.....and lots of Goldenrod.  A wasp was finding something good here.

 Down in the grass are all the little butterflies and moths.  I fear I will step on them at times!  The Eastern-tailed Blues were plentiful.

 These two tiny moths?....I'm not sure if they are different or the same kind.  

 There is a tree that the Red Admirals and other woods butterflies like, but large bushes have grown up near it and I could barely get a shot of this Admiral on the trunk.

A Sulphur on the asters.

The White's like the asters, too.

 This bee was hanging on a leaf and just dripping with pollen.  Not sure what it was doing.

Some little fungi on the path among the grass and weeds.

A few home birds.....

I haven't had as much feeder activity as usual this summer.  Maybe because there is a hawk hanging around out there somewhere plus the black cat that thinks it lives at my house.  Frustrating.

The other afternoon, two Titmice and a Chickadee showed up, so I got a few photos.

 I wish I could run out and scrub the feeders so everything looked nicer in the photos :-)

I do love the little chickadees and have found two dead ones recently.  I think they were young ones.  I'm just glad to see that I still have at least one chickadee out there.

 A downy female checking out the suet feeders.

 The Downy male stopped by this morning.

And the Titmouse is back.  

I'll even post a House Sparrow....still have plenty of those around!

Buckeye butterflies....

I had a lot of photos of the Buckeye butterflies at Mouteau Park, so I may as well post a few more.

 This one was quite willing to pose and was very perfect.
That little bug seemed to like the same flowers and shows up in several photos :-)

 There were several tattered Buckeyes and this one seemed lighter in color, too.  Older, maybe?  

 A couple of side views.

 A Buckeye and a Clouded skipper, I think.  I'm not good at identifying skippers and don't usually try.

 The really perfect one on the right kept bothering this tattered one on the left.  I thought they were trying to mate at first, but decided it was a battle instead. Apparently they are rather territorial.  

 Facing off.

I thought I'd give the little bug his own photo :-)