When I went to Howell Wetlands on Sunday afternoon, I was hoping to find some interesting birds. Instead I found this one tree in the woods that was being ravished by several butterflies! Two of them were not ones that I had seen this year.
The top butterfly is an Eastern Comma and the bottom one is a Tawny Emperor.
I have never seen this little Tawny Emperor, so I wanted to get a good shot. I wish I had seen it with its wings open for more than a brief second or two.
The Eastern Comma is a lot like the Question Mark....without the dot :-)
There was a Question Mark on the tree also, and it was hanging out with these two Hackberry Emperors. The Emperor butterflies like tree sap and rotting fruit....rarely visiting flowers according the butterfly guide. The favorite tree of all of these butterflies and the American Snout is the Hackberry tree. This particular tree is one of several that a beaver (?) has gnawed the bark off of the bottom part.
The two little Hackberrys were really trying to get their noses into that crack in the bark!
The Question Mark just shoved right in there with them.
The Question Mark on its side in another crack.
There were several Buckeyes along the edge of the woods in the leaves and flowers. I have trouble resisting taking photos of them. This one has a tear in the hindwing.
Different light sure brings out the color more!
The Comma was chasing the Tawny Emperor all over the tree as show here and in the video below, but the Tawny always ended up making the Comma go away. ( I never can tell if the video loaded right. This one looks strange at the moment...hope it plays)
The top butterfly is an Eastern Comma and the bottom one is a Tawny Emperor.
I have never seen this little Tawny Emperor, so I wanted to get a good shot. I wish I had seen it with its wings open for more than a brief second or two.
The Eastern Comma is a lot like the Question Mark....without the dot :-)
There was a Question Mark on the tree also, and it was hanging out with these two Hackberry Emperors. The Emperor butterflies like tree sap and rotting fruit....rarely visiting flowers according the butterfly guide. The favorite tree of all of these butterflies and the American Snout is the Hackberry tree. This particular tree is one of several that a beaver (?) has gnawed the bark off of the bottom part.
The two little Hackberrys were really trying to get their noses into that crack in the bark!
The Question Mark just shoved right in there with them.
The Question Mark on its side in another crack.
There were several Buckeyes along the edge of the woods in the leaves and flowers. I have trouble resisting taking photos of them. This one has a tear in the hindwing.
Different light sure brings out the color more!
The Comma was chasing the Tawny Emperor all over the tree as show here and in the video below, but the Tawny always ended up making the Comma go away. ( I never can tell if the video loaded right. This one looks strange at the moment...hope it plays)
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13 comments:
Pam is bringing me a new olympus Tony proof camera, with a vid so I may get to show the tiny butterflies here,
yesterday on the edge of the nile there was hundreds of eastern blues so tiny I could not get a decent still shot, same with the dragonflies hundreds in one place,
been nice watching your vid, and of course all the recent posts.
and please do not ask why I have made a new blogpost,
ask google blogger.
"Mary Queen of the Butterfly Kingdom"..please forgive me my jealousy.. ; }
I cannot get over the two for one photos..and three also!!
I really like the Buckeye on the daisy...and the 5th down of the Hackberrys...interesting twist on that one : }
Mary, you see so many different butterflies!!! Maybe I just need to get out and look for them! Good job!
Oh Wow! Thanks for sharing each of these.They are such fascinating creatures.
Blessings,Ruth
Another great set of butterfly images Mary.
What a delightful butterfly adventure that must have been! What a lucky chance sighting. I sm dissapointed in the few butterflies I have seen this summer and fall.
Ann
Fabulous selection of flutters and great to see the interaction between them. FAB.
P.S. Thanks to Jenny for pointing me in your direction. I'll defitely be back for more.
AMAZING pictures, Mary. Most of these butterflies are completely new to me. I know the Comma - and that's about it.
Great pictures, Mary... They are all so pretty... Glad you can identify most of them... I wouldn't have a clue except for a few of them.... Love the Buckeyes.. They are some of my fav's....
Have a great weekend.
Hugs,
Betsy
Thank you everyone! I have seen so many butterflies this year...I'm really ready for some birds for a change, but I do love the butterflies and feel blessed to have so many right now. I added a couple new ones to my list this year and that is always nice. I don't have a "life butterfly list", ....too many of the skippers and such never get identified by me.
The video played fine...I hope I can remember to google that tawny emperor and see what it looks like with its wings open...I would love to have been there to see them all.
I don't think I've ever seen butterflies feasting on trees as much as the ones you've captured here.
Oh, Mary, I am so jealous again! You see so many different kinds of Butterflies. All we see around here are Monarchs, Pearly Crescent Spots, and an occasionalBlue one. Even in the woods. How wonderful!
B.
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