“Hummingbird and Marsh Blazing Star 8-27-2023” by Mike Humcke

Plant(s): Marsh Blazing Star, Female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Photo Story: I was photgraphing a Marsh Blazing Star, and the ruby-throated hummingbird popped into the picture just as I clicked.
Equipment: Nikon Coolpix P900 4.3-357 mm
Photo ID: 33066

“Fly on Rattlesnake Master” by Jeremy Smith

Plant(s): Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
Photo Story: Taken in my backyard garden. This is part of a native plot started three years ago.
Equipment: Canon Rebel T1i with EF 75-300mm lens
Photo ID: 33071

“Bee And Anise Hyssop” by Jeremy Smith

Plant(s): Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
Photo Story: Taken in my backyard garden. This is part of a native plot started three years ago.
Equipment: Canon Rebel T1i with EF 75-300mm lens
Photo ID: 33072

“Peck’s Skipper on Joe Pye Weed” by Nancy Dawn Van Beest

Plant(s): Peck’s Skipper (Polites peckius), Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)
Photo Story: Peck’s Skipper is a tiny butterfly and I almost didn’t see it in the Joe Pye Weed, which was outdoing itself with color. The long proboscis makes an appearance as the butterfly searches for nectar in the abundance of pink blooms.
Equipment: Canon EOS REBEL T5i
EF-S18-55mm ƒ3.5-5.6 IS STM
Photo ID: 33073

“Faceoff” by Nan Pokerwinski

Plant(s): Fritillary butterfly on purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Photo Story: One of many fritillaries and other pollinators on the native coneflowers in my front yard garden this year.
Equipment: Nikon Z 6 II camera; Nikon 105 mm macro lens
Photo ID: 33080

“Swallowtail” by Nan Pokerwinski

Plant(s): Tiger swallowtail (Papillio sp.) on native purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Photo Story: Swallowtails are occasional, but much-appreciated, visitors to the native species in my front-yard garden.
Equipment: Nikon Z6 II camera; Nikon 105 mm macro lens
Photo ID: 33081

“Milkweed for Breakfast” by Alice Kahn

Plant(s): Annual milkweed, monarch caterpillars, and an ant (unknown variety)
Photo Story: Although the monarch caterpillars are quickly seen in this photo, look closer at the pollinator ant climbing the stem of the annual milkweed. I have seen ants whose legs have been trapped in milkweed flowers, but this one is not so unlucky.
Equipment: iPhone 14 Pro
Photo ID: 33093

“What will you do for a blazing star?” by Catherine McKenzie

Plant(s): Meadow blazing star (Liatris ligulistylis)
Photo Story: If you plant it, they will come. Meadow blazing star brings all the monarchs to the yard. We only have one spike of it currently, due to the bunnies, but there are monarchs on those 8 little blooms for hours each day. This one was a little faded and threadbare, and thrilled to find this meadow blazing star!
Equipment: Nikon D850 200-500 mm f/5.6
Photo ID: 33104

“Monarda seeds delish” by Catherine McKenzie

Plant(s): Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
Photo Story: The goldfinches have been enjoying the seeds from the buffet of native plants in the yard, including the Monarda fistulosa (Bergamot). The tiny seeds are visible on and around its beak! Maybe this is how the bergamot travels so easily around the yard? No complaints from me – it brings an incredible amount of life with it!
Equipment: Nikon D850 200-500 mm f/5.6
Photo ID: 33110

“The Circle of Life” by Olimpia Gutierrez

Plant(s): Mouse, species unknown, Wasps, species unknown
Photo Story: This photo was taken during a walk in Gibson Woods Nature Preserve in Hammond, IN. I found it very peculiar for (what i believe are to be) wasps to be harvesting something for a dead mouse. I had never heard of anything like this before.
Equipment: Iphone SE
Photo ID: 33131

“My Turn” by Lorraine Possanza

Plant(s): Lobelia with bee and butterflies
Photo Story: Lorraine Possanza, My Turn, taken at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA
Equipment: iPhone telephoto camera 52mm f2.4 ISO 16 118mm
Photo ID: 33180

“Dragonfly” by Susan Bahneman

Plant(s): Dragonfly feeding on Verbinum
Photo Story: N/A
Equipment: Iphone
Photo ID: 33217

“Hibiscus Turret Bee” by Courtney Denning

Plant(s): Hibiscus Turret Bee (Ptilothrix bombiformis) on Eastern Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)
Photo Story: I love watching the bees in my garden; many species visit, and I’m still learning their names. One of my favorites is the Hibiscus Turret Bee. This bee is a specialist on Hibiscus spp. I first saw a Hibiscus Bee gathering pollen from my Eastern Rose Mallow in the summer of 2022. She collected pollen differently than I had observed other bees. She used her back feet to roll pollen and nectar into a ball, also called bee bread, on which she would lay an egg in the nest she built in the ground.

I look forward to seeing these bees every summer and learning more about the creatures I share my yard with.
Equipment: iPhone 13 Pro
Photo ID: 33258

“It’s a wonderful life” by Jenny Lynne Elledge

Plant(s): Butterfly Weed, Asclepias tuberosa
Photo Story: I was totally delighted to see this little guy right after getting my garden certified as an official Monarch Watch Waystation.
Equipment: The shot was taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark lll w/ Canon 100mm Macro lens
Photo ID: 33263

“Grace Unfolding” by Jenny Lynne Elledge

Plant(s): Monarch Butterfly on Meadow Blazing Star- Liatris ligulistylis
Photo Story: This photo was taken in my native garden. I am always amazed at the beautiful grace and energy of monarchs.
Equipment: The shot was taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark lll w/ Canon 100mm Macro lens
Photo ID: 33264

“Bumble’s Delight” by Lisa Saka

Plant(s): cirsium discolor-pasture/field thistle, bumblebee (I am unsure of the specific type.)
Photo Story: I purchased this thistle from my wild ones chapter, Habitat Gardening CNY last year! The instant this thistle bloomed it became a bumblebee magnet, two bees to a bloom, voracious feeding, creatures covered completely in pollen, bees sleeping on the flowers. It was harder than I thought to capture a pollen-full bee along with a good shot of the flower–this photo is unretouched, not photo-shopped in any way. The stars lined up for this photo!
Equipment: My phone-Samsung
Photo ID: 33297

“Sleep over” by christina rutz

Plant(s): Compass plant
Photo Story: Christina-Rutz-bumblebee-Summer-sleepover
Equipment: Iphone
Photo ID: 33308

“Swallowtail” by Monica Manning

Plant(s): Swallowtail on new butterfly weed
Photo Story: Excited to see our new butterfly weed supporting our environment
Equipment: Nikon camera
Photo ID: 33310

“Together” by Linda Knipper

Plant(s): Milkweed
Photo Story: My first monarch in my garden this year
Equipment: Iphone
Photo ID: 33311

“Monarch caterpillar” by Sandra Pufahl

Plant(s): Monarch Caterpillar on native milkweed
Photo Story: Sandra Pufahl member 104934
Equipment: Iphone
Photo ID: 33313

“Monarch on Poke” by Patricia Pflaumer

Plant(s): Monarch butterfly and pokeweed
Photo Story: Monarchs visit the milkweed in a garden I maintain around the street-side telephone pole between my driveway and the neighbors.
Equipment: IPhone XR 16.1.1
Photo ID: 33317

“Sunshine and Pollinators” by Stephanie Chapman

Plant(s): The beautiful monarch butterfly sits in the Cup Plant. Also called Silphium Perfoliatum
Photo Story: Stephanie Chapman
In my backyard I enjoy the quiet stillness of pollinators and sunshine and wind and all elements of weather in a variety of plant settings.
Equipment: My iPhone took the photo. I planted cup plant in our backyard.
Photo ID: 33318

“Monarchs On Meadow Blazing Stars” by David Misterek

Plant(s): Meadow Blazing Star
Photo Story: My garden
Equipment: Cell phone
Photo ID: 33323

“Sound Asleep” by Lewell Troast

Plant(s): Bumblee Bee and Wild bergamot
Photo Story: The bumblee bee’s like to sleep in my wild bergamot
Equipment: Cannon Rebel t7i 75-300mm
Photo ID: 33326

“Bumble Bee in Butterfly Weed” by Stephanie Tsoris

Plant(s): Butterfly weed, sweet potato vine
Photo Story: This butterfly weed was planted in a pot along with some annuals near the entrance of my house.
Equipment: Iphone 14
Photo ID: 33329

“Bees Like Butterfly Weed Too” by Stephanie Tsoris

Plant(s): butterfly weed, sweet potato vine
Photo Story: This butterfly weed was planted in a pot with annuals. It will be planted in the ground once the season is over.
Equipment: iPhone 14
Photo ID: 33330

“Red-spotted purple butterfly” by Woody Brown

Plant(s): Red-spotted purple butterfly (Limenitis arthemis)
Photo Story: A resident of the southeastern US, they can be found near aspens, poplars, cottonwoods, hawthorn, birches, black oak, and serviceberry. They tend to perch up high in trees, but come down to the forest floor for water.
Equipment: iPhone
Photo ID: 33333

“Beeyond Milkweed” by Eric Manges

Plant(s): Broad-handed Leafcutter Bee on Swamp Milkweed
Photo Story: This year I’ve been focusing on insects instead of just birds and flowers. This photo is great example of the amazing diversity of life our flora can attract. This was just outside my front door and in no other place have I see a Broad-handed Leafcutter Bee. Is it even that rare? Probably not but man does it look cool.
Equipment: Nikon D3400 with a 18-55mm lens
Photo ID: 33335

“Rule of Thirds” by Jean DerGurahian

Plant(s): Asclepias Tuberosa (Butterfly weed)
Photo Story: Rule of thirds is a photography term, but it’s one that can apply to several creative areas. For me, keeping in mind the rule of thirds has helped me practice patience while I wait for the native wildlife to return to my parcel of suburbia. It was three years ago that I first became committed to restoring habitat, and as my first few packages of native seeds promised, it would take three years before plants began blooming. I now have three kinds of milkweed, three garden beds serving as a pollinator sanctuary, and three years of dedicated learning how to garden under my belt. And so finally, this summer, I was rewarded by the sight of this monarch playing in my yard. I could not be more thrilled, and I can’t wait to see what else I learn and what future seasons will bring. If you build it, they will come!
Equipment: Canon 5Dmark III, 300 mm lens, handheld
Photo ID: 33337

“Newly emerged monarch” by Chris Pistorius

Plant(s): Monarch butterfly; purple coneflower (leaves only)
Photo Story: A monarch butterfly was spotted just after it emerged from the chrysalis, and was stretching its wings in the morning sunlight. We have planted several milkweeds in our back yard, and were very happy to see this result.
Equipment: Olympus OM-D E-M10
Photo ID: 33342