Feel a little letdown now that the hummingbird baby is gone. But we did have a nice time up at the cottage over the holiday weekend. Weather was very warm-it felt like Summer finally!
We took our boat and went up the channel and anchored with 10-15 other boats to watch the town fireworks-a tradition now.

I shot some pix there too so here are a few from the weekend.

First, we have no loon babies again this year. Of the 13 years we've been here, we've seen maybe six babies. And we're not sure we have the same pair anymore. There were four on the lake hanging with each other and here are three:



And I'll need help with this guy. It was bouncing along the shoreline even flitting out to a water lily to nab a bug, then flit back to the shore. There a lot in my bird book that look like this but nothing definite. I'm pretty sure now it's a juvenile. But a juvenile what?



Here's Saturday morning and the heat and humidity is already building in this hazy view off our dock:



We took a walk too and I shot some pix of unknown wildflowers. I'll have to do some googling unless someone can help. This is not a dandelion as I first thought. The fluff is 8" across:



And these next two are very tiny:





Here's one I call the Jester's hat:



And what it looks like from underneath:



An iris at the shoreline:



Here's a beautiful unknown butterfly so I'll need some more help. Maybe only 3-4" across.
Wings folded:



And open. Anyone know?



A painted turtle about twenty feet from the dock:



I'll finish with a little story. This boat came by and I couldn't miss the little dogs peering out from the forecastle. We asked and he said they were rescued from a puppy mill. I gave him a beer.



Thx for looking...

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...more music...

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My name is DP, and I approve this message.

Love that turtle shot!

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the little birdie looks like a song sparrow

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Lovely! Thanks for sharing.

DP, thanks for the pics!

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DP
First, we have no loon babies again this year. Of the 13 years we've been here, we've seen maybe six babies. And we're not sure we have the same pair anymore. There were four on the lake hanging with each other and here are three:

Expect to see even fewer loons:

[www.startribune.com]

"Minnesota’s beloved loons may get a piece of the $18.7 billion Gulf oil spill settlement announced last week — perhaps as much as $39 million over the next 15 years. Minnesota and Wisconsin would be the only states outside the Gulf Coast region to share in the payout, largely because scientists here have proved that the birds migrate every year to the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and that, since the disastrous spill in 2010, many have returned contaminated with carcinogens and other toxins that they pass onto their eggs.

By federal law, any money that comes to Minnesota from the largest environmental settlement in the nation’s history could be used only to increase the population of 12,000 loons nesting here, according to top wildlife officials at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR)."

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

Love the pic of the resucued pups, the turtle was pretty cool too

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Speedy
DP, thanks for the pics!

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DP
First, we have no loon babies again this year. Of the 13 years we've been here, we've seen maybe six babies. And we're not sure we have the same pair anymore. There were four on the lake hanging with each other and here are three:

Expect to see even fewer loons:

[www.startribune.com]

"Minnesota’s beloved loons may get a piece of the $18.7 billion Gulf oil spill settlement announced last week — perhaps as much as $39 million over the next 15 years. Minnesota and Wisconsin would be the only states outside the Gulf Coast region to share in the payout, largely because scientists here have proved that the birds migrate every year to the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and that, since the disastrous spill in 2010, many have returned contaminated with carcinogens and other toxins that they pass onto their eggs.

By federal law, any money that comes to Minnesota from the largest environmental settlement in the nation’s history could be used only to increase the population of 12,000 loons nesting here, according to top wildlife officials at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR)."

Thx for the info. I'll have to check in to that here in MI. My BIL and I are going to build a nesting platform for next year.

Michigan's scientists need to prove what Wisconsin's and Minnesota's did.

I really, really like that the funds must be spent on restoring loons. Otherwise some states will divert it to budget balancing like the did with the tobacco settlement money.

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

The butterfly is some kind of Fritillary.

I remember seeing Steve McQueen attack a giant version of this with an axe in a movie from about 1962.

Great set of shots - I have no idea what your little wading bird is... Lots of stuff I never see here in California, but I DID see one of those giant dandelions high in the mountains on my last trip - just one though...

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DP

Here's one I call the Jester's hat:

I saw one of those when I watched the movie Aliens last night.

Very nice!

Some great pics, and I like the turtle shot too.

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