Purple Dead Nettles, with their pink tube-like flowers and burgundy upper leaves, were blooming along the Mississippi levee.  Various types of bees were flying about among the wildflowers, attracted by their nectar.

Beautiful little Clouded Yellow Butterflies danced about over the wildflowers, with an occasional courting pair fluttering together in the air.  The butterflies seemed too lively to stop and drink from the flowers.

This busy little bee, on the other hand, was sampling each little flower.

While watching the bees and butterflies, out of nowhere, a group of six eagles consisting of at least one adult and several juveniles, came swooping in from overhead. Their loud screeching and erratic flying stirred up quite a commotion.    

After the eagles settled in nearby trees,

we started down the embankment of the levee to drive along some of the farmland back roads.  Then we saw them.  A group of Clouded Yellow Butterflies were sitting in the middle of the road, extracting salt and minerals from an area of sand and rocks.

They were a beautiful sight to watch!

“Nature is full of wonders; every atom is a standing miracle, and endowed with such qualities, as could not be impressed on it by a power and wisdom less than infinite.” ~Joseph Addison