Nature's Engineers, A Basil-Loving Bee And Radiant Sunflowers: IL In Photos

Summer is providing plenty of picture-perfect moments across the state.

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Marianne Myrick, of Glen Ellyn, sent this photo she took at the Asian Festival at The Morton Arboretum. "The performer could make the horse move very gracefully," she tells us.

Kristine Wiltjer photographed this butterfly getting some nectar in her backyard.

John Tuscher, of Lemont, photographed this turkey vulture taking off from his backyard. He also provided us with some facts about them.

A turkey vulture has several distinctive characteristics:

• Large bird: Wingspan can reach about 6 feet.
• Red, featherless head: The bare red head helps keep feathers clean while feeding.
• Bald head: Their featherless head is an adaptation that makes feeding on carcasses more hygienic.
• Excellent sense of smell: Unlike many birds, Turkey Vultures can smell carrion from great distances, even under tree cover.
• Soaring specialist: They use rising warm air (thermals) to glide for long periods with very little effort.
• Fast in flight: They can reach around 60 mph when gliding under favorable conditions.
• Carrion eater: They primarily eat dead animals, helping remove decaying carcasses from the environment.
• Important to the ecosystem: They act as nature's cleanup crew, helping reduce the spread of disease from dead animals.

David LeValley, of Plainfield, found this amazing spiderweb on a recent foggy morning. He described the creators as "nature's engineers."

Janet Keller, of Joliet, photographed this bee visiting one of her basil plants. "It's a new species of bee for me to see, and my husband just fixed my camera, so I was sitting outside in our garden taking photos," she tells us.

Gloria Lopez photographed the Pierhead Lighthouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin. According to Visit Milwaukee, it's the only active lighthouse in Milwaukee County being operated as a lighthouse.

Jaime Freeman, of Little Starr Farm in Manhattan, sent in this photo she took of some radiant sunflowers.

LAST TIME: Coyote Smells The Flowers, Elton John The Cat And A Foggy Sunrise — IL In Photos