7 Amazing Nature Photos You Won’t Want to Miss

Updated: Jan. 26, 2022

Unexpected moments happen all the time in the backyard—these photographers were just lucky enough to capture these amazing nature photos.

A ruby-throated hummingbird flying around with a trumpet honeysuckle bloom on its beak.

Courtesy Marc Fahringer

Amazing Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Photo

Marc Fahringer of Dulles, Virginia, took this amazing nature photo, saying, “I spend plenty of time taking photographs of hummingbirds in the summer while they’re here in Virginia. This female ruby-throated hummingbird was coming to this trumpet honeysuckle all day. To my surprise (and probably hers), when she buried her beak in this bloom, the flower came off with her! She returned 30 minutes later without the flower but never came back to the same plant. That was a first-time experience that I won’t soon forget.”

Check out more stunning hummingbird photos you need to see.

An Anna's hummingbird playfully peeks over the top of a water fountain.

Courtesy Judy Cline

Playful Anna’s Hummingbird

“An Anna’s hummingbird spent a few minutes entertaining me with a game of peekaboo in my backyard fountain birdbath,” says Judy Cline of Spanaway, Washington. “Sometimes hummers just keep you in stitches with their antics!”

A baby swan swims under its parent's neck as the adult sticks its head in the water.

Courtesy Elisa Shaw

Curious Baby Mute Swan

“For a few summers, a pair of mute swans have been nesting on a lake about a mile away from my house,” says Elisa Shaw of Red Hook, New York. “One of my favorite things to do is to photograph them with their cygnets and watch the little ones grow up.”

Don’t miss these adorable photos of bird mothers with babies.

A sunflower with a mutation that looks like it has a mouth.

Courtesy Brigid Roden

Amazing Sunflower Nature Photo

Brigid Roden of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, says, “Observing this sunflower from afar, I noticed that the inside looked more green than usual and decided to go check it out. As I approached, I realized that it was blowing kisses! I’ve grown sunflowers for many years and have never seen anything like it. It just made me happy!”

Two monarch butterfly caterpillars munch on a milkweed plant.

Courtesy Kelly Rabenstine

Hungry, Hungry Caterpillars

“I raise monarch butterflies, and these two caterpillars were eager to stop and say hello while I was refreshing their milkweed,” says Kelly Rabenstine of Biglerville, Pennsylvania.

Monarch caterpillars eat only milkweed plants. To support them, grow native varieties of milkweed in your own backyard.

A group of monarch butterflies perch on a dried leaf in a star formation.

Courtesy Pam Stewart

Monarchs in Formation

Pam Stewart of Higbee, Missouri, says, “Walking in my yard, I noticed a cluster of monarchs getting ready to migrate south for the season. They were all in a tree, gathered around a dried leaf, forming the shape of a star. It’s the first time I had ever seen anything like it. I captured this amazing nature photo with my Nikon D3300 camera and a zoom lens. It was a once-in-a-lifetime shot.” Discover 3 butterflies that look like monarchs.

A newly hatched sandhill crane colt pokes its head out of its mother's feathers.

Courtesy James Ventimiglia

Shy Sandhill Crane

“It was an emotional experience for me to take this amazing nature photo. I’ve photographed a pair of sandhill cranes for a number of years. They nest in the same location and are truly a part of the Florida community. The night before I took this photo, I noted that one of the eggs was almost open. But it was getting late. I returned at dawn and the bird mother was on the nest. She raised and lowered her head, and gently lifted her wing to show me her baby. This photo captures not only a mother’s tender love but a moment of sharing between wildlife and a photographer,” says James Ventimiglia of Davisburg, Michigan.

Don’t miss these 50 stunning summer bird photos.