Swamps, Spots, and Somethin' for Sheila

I hit the road today, despite the knowledge that the tourists would be thick as thieves...esp. since this is the week of Sturgis Bike Week, an annual event that normally brings well over 200,000 bikers (up to 400,000, but not this yr.)...from all over, and outside of, the US to the area. I hemmed and hawed a bit this a.m., then just grew a stiff upper lip and said, "Self, we're going in!"

As usual, I found plenty of nifty stuff. Not necessarily in this order...oops, I hate this posting last things first business... This fritillary butterfly on swamp milkweed was at a wayside park I call Bird Paradise, at the far-south end of the Black Hills. The butterflies were everywhere today.

I saw a 'doe' back in the woods below me at the French Creek Natural Area's trailhead in Custer Park today. (Before the butterfly.) When I zoomed in on 'her' I saw spots! There turned out to be two large fawns; they looked fully grown to me.

This photo's for you, Sheila; I agree it's nice to see more than just the bum of a bird in a pic (like the one below in my 8-2 post)! I didn't post this one before cause it's a bit blurry, but you can still see his head fairly well. Very pretty birds, but also very uncooperative. If you compare both photos, you can see he bounced from a twig on a branch, to a much larger branch...and then he bounced to some small, scrubby saplings...and then....