Here's some more monarch magic from last weekend! #butterfly #butterflies #Lepidoptera #Illinois #nature #photography #wildlifephotography #SaveTheMonarch

I'm still seeing monarchs! I saw four yesterday that were feasting on New England asters and Mexican sunflowers. #monarch #butterfly #butterflies #Lepidoptera #Illinois #nature #photography #wildlifephotography #SaveTheMonarch

Here's the second shadow darner dragonfly (Aeshna umbrosa) that I was able to photograph this weekend! #dragonflies #Odonata #Illinois #nature #photography #wildlifephotography

Here's a beautiful common buckeye (Junonia coenia) that I saw today! #butterfly #butterflies #Lepidoptera #Illinois #nature #photography #wildlifephotography

I saw another shadow darner dragonfly (Aeshna umbrosa) today! #dragonflies #Odonata #Illinois #nature #photography #wildlifephotography

We're still seeing an occasional monarch on our Mexican sunflowers. #butterfly #butterflies #Lepidoptera #sunflower #Illinois #nature #photography #SaveTheMonarch

Here's a skyward shot of a striped saddlebags dragonfly (Tramea darwini) in our front yard garden! #dragonflies #Odonata #Illinois #nature #macro #photography #wildlifephotography #photographylovers

Today I released another male monarch that I raised. After spending a couple of hours in the neighbor's tree, he flew down and landed on our tomato plant to bask in the sun. #butterfly #butterflies #Lepidoptera #Illinois #nature #photography #wildlifephotography #SaveTheMonarch

Here's another male monarch butterfly on a New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) this afternoon. #butterflies #Lepidoptera #nativeplants #Illinois #nature #photography #wildlifephotography #SaveTheMonarch

Here's a late-season sighting of a red-spotted purple butterfly (Limenitis arthemis) in the backyard. #butterflies #Lepidoptera #Illinois #nature #photography #photographylovers #wildlifephotography

This is the last shot of the male carpenter bee before he flew off to feed on African blue basil flowers. #bees #pollinators #insects #Illinois #nature #macro #photography

I found this poor ole cold, wet male carpenter bee in the shade, so I warmed him up on my warm finger in the sun, and he was soon buzzing around our flowers again. #bees #pollinators #insects #Illinois #nature #macro #photography

Here's a male autumn meadowhawk dragonfly perched on a garden stake in the backyard. #dragonflies #Odonata #insects #Illinois #nature #macro #photography #wildlifephotography #fall