Recently, we had the pleasure of watching the stunning beauty and graceful flight of white pelicans during their annual fall migration at Reelfoot Lake.
“To the sane and free it will hardly seem necessary to cross the continent in search of wild beauty, however easy the way, for they find it in abundance wherever they chance to be.” ~John Muir
Earlier this summer, as I was out walking, I heard a persistent buzzing sound I hadn’t noticed before. Curious, I looked around and discovered a hive of busy bees tucked behind vines inside a hollowed-out tree trunk beside the road, each one diligently working away.
“The hum of bees is the voice of the garden.” ~Elizabeth Lawrence
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Throughout the summer, it was encouraging to see various types of bees diligently transferring pollen from flower to flower.
“For so work the honey bees, creatures that by a rule in nature teach the act of order to a peopled kingdom.” ~William Shakespeare
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I believe this was my favorite—the American Bumble Bee (Bombus pensylvanicus). Such a beauty! It plays an important role in pollinating many different plants.
The careful insect ‘midst his works I view,
Now from the flowers exhaust the fragrant dew,
With golden treasures load his little thighs,
And steer his distant journey through the skies.
~John Gay, Rural Sports (canto I, I. 82)
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This year, morning glories blossomed along my fence, and it was fascinating to observe the bees as they slept—with their heads tucked inside the flower blossoms and their tiny bottoms sticking out. When the flowers opened in the morning, the bees busily buzzed about, gathering nectar and pollen.
… Why are you so busy, pray?
Never still a minute,
hovering now above a flower.
Now half-buried in it!
by Julia Dorr
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“It is not how busy you are, but why you are busy – the bee is praised, the mosquito is swatted. ~Author Unknown
Although less conspicuous than butterflies, these frequently overlooked insects display a remarkable diversity in size, patterns, and colors. Some serve essential roles as nighttime pollinators and are a crucial food source for larger creatures.
“I would rather live in a world where my life is surrounded by mystery than live in a world so small that my mind could comprehend it.” ~Harry Emerson Fosdick
Note: Credit goes to my husband for the Luna moth photo.
“A beautiful sight that tickles the eyes and thrills the soul” is the phrase that came to mind while watching a group of female ruby-throated hummingbirds as they danced and weaved around the feeder and late September flowers. Between their swift dips and dives, the hummingbirds jealously guarded their favorite resting spots in the nearby bushes. For the males, the seasonal stay here is over, and they have already migrated south toward a warmer climate. These females may also be on the move, taking a brief stopover before continuing their journey.
“There are two ways of seeing: with the body and with the soul. The body’s sight can sometimes forget, but the soul remembers forever.” ~Alexandre Dumas
walking on a country road 