Praying Mantis Stops By, Butterfly Takes A Break And Toad Hides In The Garden: IL In Photos

Fall has arrived, bringing colorful foliage, crisp mornings and plenty of picture-perfect moments across the state.

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Al Benson sent in a photograph of the Fox Valley Brass Band performing at Wesley United Methodist Church in Aurora. Next up, the band will be playing on Oct. 18 at Bethany Lutheran Church in Batavia.

Sue Umphryes photographed this crane stretching out for a drink in the Timberlake area. "He is a regular at our birdbath and birdfeeder. He has been coming for several summers," she tells us.



Tammy Cline, of Oswego, submitted this photograph she took of an Easter Tiger Swallowtail enjoying the cosmos in her wildflower garden.

Louellen Rossi captured this pretty image of a sunset over the Elmhurst Stone Quarry.

Cindy Smith, of Oswego, got this photo across from the Fox River at Hudson Crossing Park.

Suzanne Maher tells Patch she named this guy "Gary" after her late brother who passed away in August "because he kept following me around my backyard in Crestwood."

Nancy Chadwick, of East Glenview said this bird was "seemingly undisturbed by the hustle of footed and wheeled activity," as it rest on a log near the path in Nixon Woods early one morning. "The sun's rise hits the chest at just the right time," she tells us.

LAST WEEK: Northern Lights, Cicada Says Hello And A Quirk Of Nature — IL In Photos