Today the family had a lovely hike by the Chattahoochee River. Flutterby got to observe a myriad of wild life. It seemed that everything was out for us to observe.
As we started the hike, we were seeing butterflies galore. There were many large Tiger Swallowtails and even more smaller species, like Cabbage White and Spring Azure. There were also many dragonflies to observe, which Flutterby is eager to catch.
A we proceeded onto a smaller, less traveled trail, we immediately heard bullfrogs croaking. We saw three Blue-Tailed Skink lizards along the boardwalk we traveling. In the marsh area, we saw a family of Mallard ducks swimming among the reeds, a mommy, daddy, and baby. Along the path, Flutterby was able to observe and identify some of the plant life, including various fungus and tree leaves.
Once back on the main trail, we caught site of a very large rat snake. Flutterby approached it with her grandfather and got so close I thought she would touch it. It quickly slithered into the brush to cool off and be left alone. As we continued, we came to a bridge over a stream leading to the river.
From the bridge we saw a Great Blue Heron soaking up the son in the Chattahoochee and various ducks in the river. Looking down in the stream, there were many fish. Flutterby particularly enjoyed the Sun Fish. There were also Suckers and Bass. As we turned to look over the other side of the bridge facing the stream, we saw a small brown water snake attempting to climb over a hump to go upstream, or perhaps drink the water flowing over.
As we returned, we saw many butterflies and birds, including blue birds. Flutterby even spotted two lady bugs. She loved exploring and was able to see so many fascinating things first hand. It was a beautiful afternoon.
