Fly Away …

I had to share this series of photos. I saw this female Black Swallowtail Butterfly while we were hiking earlier this week. The male is much darker and maybe where the ‘black’ in the name comes from.

Back to the story: While I was photographing her, I saw this carpenter bee on the coneflower next door. He slowly worked his way to the top. As he crested the top of the cone and in an instant, she flew away. I was trying to capture a photo of both of them on the top of there respective flowers but she was having none of it. It almost appears that the bee was happy about ‘chasing’ her away. He even walked out to the end of the flower in her direction as she took off. It was funny. See the photos below ...

~ Rick

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©2019 ©2020 Rick Cartwright

The Lady

A few days ago I posted photos of a male Eastern Towhee. A few days ago I saw this this female Eastern Towhee. The photo is not perfect due to some focus issues, but I wanted to share it. The female has less of the deep colors but she is beautiful.

~ Rick

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Rick’s latest technology muse:

Check out our vlog, which includes more pictures and video on YouTube at tales.photos. Remember to subscribe!

Prints are available for many of the photos on this site on canvas, metal or glass. Contact Rick for more information.

©2019 ©2020 Rick Cartwright

Natures Raw Beauty

Some sights in nature just need to be seen. I can’t explain the beauty but this photo is an attempt to capture nature and share it.. Stunning, raw and and so cool.

A side note: I received an email with a link to this article about How to Grow and Care for Butterfly Weed. This is not a sponsored link. I’m just sharing for those that want more butterflies in their garden.

~ Rick

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Rick’s latest technology muse:

Check out our vlog, which includes more pictures and video on YouTube at tales.photos. Remember to subscribe!

Prints are available for many of the photos on this site on canvas, metal or glass. Contact Rick for more information.

©2019 ©2020 Rick Cartwright

Big, Beautiful, Swallowtail

I love to watch Swallowtail butterflies. The size, colors and space make this one look like a King Swallowtail Butterfly. Unfortunately the King is not found in this part of the US. They are also even larger than this one. I am not sure about this one.

What I do know is that I love this photo. The bee gives it scale. I’ll just call it a big, beautiful, swallowtail butterfly.

~ Rick

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Rick’s latest technology muse:

Check out our vlog, which includes more pictures and video on YouTube at tales.photos. Remember to subscribe!

Prints are available for many of the photos on this site on canvas, metal or glass. Contact Rick for more information.

©2019 ©2020 Rick Cartwright

Near Perfect Weather

The first week of August is in the books. The weather has been almost perfect, at least for the last few days. We logged a lot of hiking miles this week. I walked over 58 miles this past week. Some of that was not hiking for photos, but I did log a lot of miles. Last month I walked 256 miles. Yes, I am crazy. When I see views like the two below, I know it was worth every mile.

Both of these photos were taken at Maple Ridge Reserve. To get to this open prairie, you have to walk through the forest. The trees create a beautiful green canopy. On days like this one, as you clear the trees, your view is wildflowers, grass and an amazing blue sky, dotted with puffy white clouds. This trail is perfect for hiking. Not too hard, not too easy. It is one of my favorite hikes in Miami County.

~ Rick

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Rick’s latest technology muse:

Check out our vlog, which includes more pictures and video on YouTube at tales.photos. Remember to subscribe!

Prints are available for many of the photos on this site on canvas, metal or glass. Contact Rick for more information.

©2019 ©2020 Rick Cartwright