Where I am (southeastern Massachusetts), Monarch butterflies are especially prominent from August to October. For the past few years I've been seeing more Monarchs every year; they also like to hang out at my workplace, due to the flowers and milkweed growing outside the warehouse.
Yesterday after shooting a couple of photos of a lone turtle on that partly submerged tree branch in the water near the fountain, as I was turning away in preparation for heading on down the boardwalk, I noticed how the light was hitting the water spewing from the fountain and decided to take a few shots, changing my perspective and angle each time.... It does look rather like outer space, doesn't it?!
This one has an exceptional lightness, like a ballerina veil movement lasting in the air.
I found it: it’s a rusty blackbird, Euphagus carolinus. https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/rusbla/cur/introductionI was at a nearby lake recently, and this bird was "hanging around" the shore. I don't know what bird this is, but am certain that it's not an Alaska resident (or maybe it is? I have never seen it before)
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