Butterflies and reflections

On September 14, 2026September 14, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

Monarch butterflies were loving the blooming thistle when I was at Possum Branch Preserve at the end of April.

I was passing by a small pond and noticed several water birds. A roseate spoonbill, a tricolored heron and a great egret were all feeding together. Or, were they looking at their reflections in the water? Do they know it’s themselves or do they think they are looking at another bird?

A spoonbill was peeking out at me from the top of a bald cypress tree.

A great blue heron looking majestic before taking off.

A swallowtail butterfly on the thistle.

White peacocks are very common here.

I think this is a yellowjacket on the buttonbush.

Butterflies are free to fly.

On August 3, 2021July 7, 2021 By dinajohnstonIn Florida animals4 Comments

I was so excited to see a hummingbird clearwing moth at the Florida Botanical Gardens in late May. They are really cool looking with that tail that looks like a brush. They hover and feed just a like a hummingbird but are much smaller and hard to spot.

There were so many butterflies there as well but not a large variety of them.

“You’re a butterfly
And butterflies are free to fly
Fly away
High away
Bye bye” Elton John

Color at the botanical gardens.

On June 29, 2020June 29, 2020 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography6 Comments

The butterfly garden at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo was living up to it’s name with tons of butterflies the morning I went in early May. There were lots of different ones besides the usual monarchs.