Ahhhh Lunch!

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

When I shot this image, I never realized that this Snowy Egret had anything in his mouth. Once I got it on my computer, I noticed the snake in his mouth. No wonder he was all frazzled. I watched and shot him for about 15 minutes and he still didn't have it in his tummy. 

Meanwhile, another Snowy Egret caught a fish, and this greedy fellow decided he wanted that too! He didn't get the fish, so he was forced to keep on struggling with this snake. 

This is the cropped version of the original image. The whole image shows the two Snowy Egrets about to fight over the fish. I'll save that for a later date.

Southern Magnolia blossom.

You always know when you're in the South when you spot Magnolia trees. Magnolias are one of the most fragrant flowers and they're fragrance can be smelled all over the yard. Even the bark of their trees are fragrant. They were named after the French botanist, Pierre Magnol. 

The Magnolia is the state flower of both Mississippi and Louisiana. 

Magnolias are ancient flowers, so ancient that fossils have been found dating to 20 million years ago--before the arrival of bees.