Wild Bird Wednesday
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| Great Blue Heron, Lee county, Mississippi, USA |
I enjoy watching and photographing Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias). They are such beautiful, elegant, graceful birds. Their large size means they are easy to see and easy to focus the camera on, and they stand completely still for minutes at a time. So much easier to photograph than all those small birds that constantly flit around!
Wildflower Wednesday
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| Butterweed, Prentiss county, Mississippi, USA, April 27, 2015 |
Butterweed, Packera glabella, is a tall (knee-high or more) wildflower that grows in much of the eastern United States. It prefers wet soil and lots of sun.
It blooms from Spring to mid-Summer (April/May here in Mississippi). An identifying characteristic is its hollow stem.
Small bees and flies visit for nectar and pollen. The plant itself is poisonous, causing liver damage. Deer, rabbits, and other wild animals seem to know to avoid it, but it has been reported to cause poisoning in domestic livestock that eat it.
Wednesday Waters
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| Tennessee River in northwest Alabama, USA, June 14, 2015 |
Have a beautiful day!
For more bird photos, visit Stewart for Wild Bird Wednesday: Click Here!
For more photos of wildflowers, visit Gail for Wildflower Wednesday: Click Here!
For more water photos, visit Gemma for Wednesday Waters: Click Here!
NOTE: Please do not use my photos without my permission.
The Heron is really cool.
ReplyDeleteWonderful last scence shots with fence and I love the first shots of the Heron as well.
ReplyDeleteGreat shot of the Heron and the flowers are pretty. Enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteThat is a beautiful wildflower Lea...
ReplyDeleteLovely heron! Thanks for the wildflower lesson, I think I've seen that plant around but didn't know what it was.
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Agree with you on the herons.. Beautiful and also so much easier to photograph because of their size and patience as they stay still for so long. Have seen that wildflower, didn't know it's name, but butter weed is a perfect one and I'll remember it.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful heron pic. Did not know Butterweed was poisonous.
ReplyDeletePretty things! Tom The Backroads Traveller
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots. We both have Great Blue Herons on our blogs today!
ReplyDeleteI love wildflowers...so great to see your lovely photos of this beautiful (if poisonous) one! And Great Blue Herons are indeed awesome! Such wonderful shots.
ReplyDeleteLea: Your photos are beautiful! I enjoy watching Great Blue Herons, too. Your Butterweed is a cheery bloomer. I think we have it here, too.
ReplyDeleteGreat Blue Herons live out here too but I don't know where to go to see them. I did chance to see one not long ago, I like your photo. I saw Packera somewhere else recently, I didn't know they were poisonous and had hollow stems. They are bright and carefree looking
ReplyDeleteThis plant also grows here in SW IN. I too like to see Great blue Herons. They seem so calm.
ReplyDeletethe heron looks well fed
ReplyDeletePretty heron.
ReplyDeleteHi Lea, I enjoyed scrolling through your blog, looking at your photos. This is a flower I am not familiar with. I love all those yellow blooms! Did your butterfly milkweed survive?
ReplyDeleteI like the heron.
ReplyDeleteI like the heron.
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