Summer Visitors - LOTS

Trust me on this one.  There were enough photos taken this summer of the many visitors to the gardens here that one could make a “coffee table book” collection!  Since the gardens sit on the shores of Lake Michigan,  literally thousands of birds migrate through the area in Spring and in Fall.  Thousands and thousands.  Tens of thousands.  Those that stop over for a visit find an almost unlimited number of bugs to feast on in order to fatten up and have energy for the rest of their journey. Speaking of the bugs, as you will see in the photos, many of them are feasting on other “bugs”.

It was surprising when going over the photos from this Summer, to see the number of bugs, birds, and mammals that moved about the garden rooms.  Here are a couple dozen photos of visitors, and again trust me, there are dozens more that were taken during these warm months.

In past postings you will see photos of the American eagles that are here daily, pheasants, swallows, ducks, dragon flies and damsel files, red-tail fox, creek otters, and people too.  However, this posting would never end if all were included.   Here is a “short list” of those who have come to enjoy the Gardens at Waters East during the Summer of 2013.

Many I do not know.  Maybe you can name some of them.

Enjoy your walk with me around the gardens. 

 Beginning of a new day

August sunrise over Lake Michigan

 Honey Bee

 Grasshopper on Daylily

 Spider Lily

with guest

 Deer in the early summer garden

 Bumble Bee

 along the Lake Path

checking for more "visitors"

 Black Wasps

on Lovage blooms

 Fly

on Nanny Berry

 Two "bugs" checking each other out

Robin

on 19th century ship ribs

 a worm

on Rudbeckia bloom

 Purple Coneflower with "visitor"

 Enjoying an Aster

 Swallowtail Butterfly

 Ants

on Cushion Spurge bloom

 Four inch long ?

 Spider

on Siberian Iris

 Splish Splash Geranium and "visitor"

 Sea Holly with wasp

 Cup Plant with "visitor"

 Swallowtail Butterfly

 Ghost Spider having lunch

Fly

on False Sunflower

 Gulls

on their daily flight

over the Gardens at Waters East

 Coreopsis and visiting "bug"

 Two Coneflowers

Two "visitors"

 "I'm watching you - watching me."

 Daffodil with spider

 along the Middle Walk Path

looking for more "visitors"

 Marguerite Daisy

with visiting "mini" bee

 Spider on daisy

 Tulip Tarda with "visitors"

view down Lake Path

looking for more "visitors"

Baby Rabbit

 

 Checking for "goodies"

 great complimentary design with the lily

 Queen Anne Lace and "visitor"

 Woodchuck

having lunch on the Asian Patio

 love the pink stripe on this one

 moving along the path toward the Formal Garden

 Checkout who is hiding in-wait (on the left side of the daisy)

for this "visitor".

 Mourning Dove

flying over - - enjoying the colors

 Wood Thrush

flowers flowers everywhere

all to the "visitors" delight

sunset in the West reflecting off clouds

looking East over Lake Michigan

NOTE:   Since this Blog is meant to be an accurate journal of the gardens;

no photos are “staged”, “arranged”, or ”photo-shopped” in anyway.

What is posted – is what it here.  It is what it is.

If you wish to email a message or share photos of your garden

please do that through this Blog site or with an email to:

www.gardensatwaterseast@Yahoo.com