If Tuesday Is Chooseday ....

 

.... then we chose very well for Tuesday's morning walk at Green Valley Park/Lake.

Specifically, I wanted to see if we could spot any Monarch Butterflies. We did see one, but, as usual there was so much more to witness and photograph.

On Tuesday Chooseday I saw....

                                                                  Wild alfalfa.

Widow Skimmer Dragonfly.   

Horsenettle Weed.

Monarda, also known as Bergamot, Bee Balm, Horsemint and Oswego Tea.

Sunlight shining on Wild White Morning Glories. And even though there are some healthy milkweed plants there, too, no Monarchs appeared.

But there was a beautifully posed Red Admiral Butterfly.

If this tiny frog hadn't hopped, I might have stepped on it.

As it was, all I saw was movement. It took awhile before I could even find it and see what it was.

So tiny. Just compare it with the clover leaves.

Ahh, there's a Monarch and it's on some Swamp Milkweed. My intended prey is captured.

A late blooming Elderberry cluster amidst others on the same bush that are already forming berries.

I almost missed the Snapping Turtle on that branch out in the lake. 

I did take zoomed-in pictures of it, but I like this one framed by the tall grasses.

There were many Grass Spider webs of all sizes. The sun shining on the dew drops made them stand out.

Bud kidded that this kettle of Turkey Vultures had their eyes on me.

I said, "As slow as I'm moving, they probably do!"

However, with the aid of my Nordic poles and all the stops to take photos, I did walk a little over a mile. 

Tree Swallow.

Some more Monarda with one of the causeways just visible across the lake.

For a leisure pursuit on a Tuesday Chooseday, it's hard to top a walk in nature.