American Lady Butterfly on Northern Blazing Star: Kennebunk Plains Nature Conservancy, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, August 2024 — Both the Monarchs and American Lady butterflies are coming through southern Maine in big numbers the past two weeks. It is not a coincidence that it is also the height of the season for blooming Blazing Star which attracts both of them. As long distance migrants both need all the energy they can get. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 321mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Insect recognition auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Question Mark Butterfly: Kennebunk Maine, USA, August 2024 — When I parked my trike to take a walk on the Bridle Path here in Kennebunk, there was a butterfly fluttering around the parking area, settling on the gravel and bushes and trees for seconds at a time. It took me fifteen minutes of concentrated effort to get these two shots. 🙂 I knew it was a Question Mark or a Comma but it was a while before I managed to see the underside of the wing well enough to be sure. This is the first Question Mark butterfly I have seen in Maine in about 10 years, and I have only seen two other in the past. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird and wildlife modifications. Insect subject recognition auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
The Monarch Butterflies are coming back through, down the coast, on their way to Mexico. They come around Great Head point and across the Mousam River mouth, over the beach and the marsh, and continue on south, 20 or so of them in the short time I am looking. They rarely light for more than a few seconds, and most don’t light at all while I am looking. This one settled a moment on the ripening Beach Rose hips (Rosa Rugosa). Sony a6700 with my action and flight modifications (just in case it did not sit for me). Insect recognition auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Common Tern and Monarch Butterfly: York County, Maine, USA, August 2024 — Imagine my surprise when processing my photos from the actively feeding Common Terns at the mouth of the river to find this interloper in the frame. I certainly did not see the Monarch while panning to follow the tern…though the Monarchs must be passing through down the coast as I saw several yesterday, and those are the first of the season. Sony a6700 with the Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my flight and action modifications. Animal/bird subject detection auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Red Admiral Butterfly: Kennebunk Bridal Trail, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, July 2024 — I posted a White Admiral from the Kennebunk Plains Nature Conservancy property, inland from us, a week ago, and someone mentioned the Red Admiral in a comment. Here is a Red Admiral from the sea side of our house, down near the ocean on the Kennebunk Bridal Path. It is a beautiful butterfly, and the setting, on the Queen Ann’s Lace and in front of the out-of-focus beach roses with some fruit already here at the end of July, only makes for a better image. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Insect detection auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
The other day out at the Kennebunk Plains Nature Conservancy here in Kennebunk, Maine, there were at least three different species of butterflies that I saw. The White Admiral is one of my favorites. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC VXD zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Insect subject recognition auto focus. Processed in Photomator.
Pearly Crescent: Centennial, Colorado, July 2024 — I am not seeing many birds in the suburban Denver neighborhood where my daughter and her family live, but the butterflies have been interesting. There are lots of little flower plots in yards and as part of the landscaping of the developments, so there is lots to attract butterflies. This is a Pearly Crescent. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving birds and wildlife modifications. Insect subject recognition. Processed in Photomator.
Two-tailed Tiger Swallowtail: Centennial, Colorado, July 2024 — I went for a short walk around the neighborhood yesterday afternoon in the Denver heat to see if any birds were out and about. They weren’t, but I caught this Two-tailed Tiger Swallowtail visiting the Day Lilies in the entry-way plantings of one of the many housing developments that make up this part of Centennial. Perhaps the largest and most colorful of the western swallowtails, this one was diving deep in the lilies after nectar. It was very active and hard to keep in the frame. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving bird and wildlife modifications. Insect subject recognition. Processed in Photomator.
Skipper? Randall Davey Audubon Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, July 2024 — I know it is a skipper. I am not sure which one. Fiery? Zebulon? Don’t know my New Mexico skippers. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400 Di iii VC zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving bird and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Canadian Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2024 — I have been seeing Tiger Swallowtails in the forest and fields of Southern Maine for a couple of weeks now, generally on the wing, gliding close to foliage or grass. This is not the first to pass through our yard, but it is the first that has settled while I was watching and had my camera ready. It visited the daisies twice…I missed it the first time, but it came back, and then flew right up to the deck where I was standing and settled on the geraniums just long enough for a few frames before it was off up over the roof of the house and away. OM System OM-1Mkii with the M.Zuiko 150-500IS zoom at 1200mm and 678mm equivalent. Hand-held at 1/320th. Program mode with my bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.