Posts in Category: butterfly
Maine! More migrating Monarchs (Blazing Star)
Continuing our coverage of the Monarch butterfly migration in southern Maine, here are two from the Kennebunk Plains and the Northern Blazing Star bloom. I recently found out that the Plains are host to the largest population of Blazing Star left in the world. In the world! Clearly the Monarchs are doing their bit to help keep it healthy. And really, is there anything more photogenic than a Monarch in Blazing Star? (Well, maybe, just possibly, yes there is, but I will save that for another day 🙂 OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Maine: Monarch Migration
The Monarchs migration has arrived in Maine. Of course we do raise a few of our own, but large numbers come down the coastline from further north this time of year. I found these in a field of clover just behind the marsh of a tidal creek near home. And there were lots out on the blueberry plains, among the fading Blazing Star flowers, when I was there yesterday. OM Systems OM-1 with the ED 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 250 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
New Mexico! Western Tiger Swallowtail
Western Tiger Swallowtail: Camino Real Hiking Trail, Santa Fe, New Mexico, July 2023 — There is water flowing in the Santa Fe River, still, after a wet spring in New Mexico, which means an unusual amount of birds and insects along the water course where it flows down through a series of parks on the west side of the city and along the bike and hike trail of Camino Real. True it is more of a creek than a river at that point, but along with quite a few birds, I found a couple of nice fresh Western Tiger Swallowtail butterflies sipping minerals from the wet sands at the edge of the river. They would fly over the water and dip for drink, and them, if I was patient enough, eventually settle on the shore. OM Systems OM-1 at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/800th.
Butterflies of Kibale National Park
Kibale National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — When we got back to the wood road from our Chimpanzee Trek in Kibale National Forest we had a longish wait for our vehicle (our guide was taking the opportunity to wash and clean the Land Cruiser). Fortunately we had at least 14 species of butterflies to entertain us…or at least I was entertained by them. The true birders in the group pretty much sat on the ground and watched for birds. I do not know the butterflies of Maine as well as I should, and I know the butterflies of Uganda and East Africa not at all! I had no hope of identifying these butterflies but I did find an excellent publication on the Butterflies of Kibale National Park, available as a download PDF, this morning while doing a bit of research and I should be able to ID these and most of the others. Consider this a teaser. My intention is to come back to this post with IDs over the next few days as I have time to dig out the names. 🙂 All shots with the Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos, and assembled in FrameMagic. ISO was all over the place, from 2500 (with multi-frame noise reduction on) for the shots on the ground to 100 for the shots on the sunny foliage @ f4 @ 1/500th.
American Lady
American Lady Butterfly: SMMC Kennebunk, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2022 — It seems to me that there are fewer butterflies this summer than last…I have seen only a few Swallowtails, and this is, so far, the only Lady I have seen. Maybe I am just not getting out enough. 🙂 I have to look up how to tell a Painted Lady from an American Lady every year. We have both in Maine, as is true of most of the US. The two large eye-spots on the underside of the wings are the tell for American Lady. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f5 @ 1/1000th.
Bougainvillea Butterflies
I flew into Costa Rica a day early, so I could be there when my tour participants arrived. This year we were back at the Hotel Bougainvillea, my favorite place to stay near San Jose…mainly because of its amazing gardens…acres of mature gardens with a huge variety of plants, birds, and butterflies. The rains that filled our first two days of the tour did not start until that evening, so I had a sunny afternoon in the garden to photograph the many butterflies that are attracted to one particular patch of flowers. Here we have the Orange-tip, a Zebra Longwing (Heliconius), Crimson Patch, Julia Longwing, Banded Peacock, and Banner Metalmark…and they were all within a few feet of each other. I literally stood in one spot and photographed all but the Crimson Patch. (Does anyone know why this is not the Orange Patch? I tried to look it up this morning but could find nothing.) Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. All but the Crimson Patch at ISO 100, that at ISO 250. All at f4. 1/500th, 1/640, and 1/1000th.
Red Admiral
Red Admiral: Kennebunk Plains Preserve, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — This appears to be a fairly fresh Red Admiral that I caught among the low growing Asters which currently cover the Kennebunk Plains. The Red Admiral is apparently found throughout Maine, but I am not totally certain that I have ever encountered one here before. The Admiral (which, according to the Wiki, was originally called the Red Admirable) was very busy and would not sit still, so I never did get the full wings shot I was after, before it lifted up and disappeared over some tall trees growing the little gully that leads down to Day Brook Pond. I glimpsed it once more flying high on my way back. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos and assembled in FrameMagic. ISO 200-250 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
American Lady
American Lady Butterfly: Kennebunk Plains Preserve, Kennebunk, Maine, USA — It is short aster season on the Kennebunk Plains here in Southern Maine, with at least 3 species of small asters in bloom, and large areas heavily carpeted. I found several fairly fresh looking American Ladies working a stand in the sun. They did not want to sit still for photography but I did my best. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos and assembled in FrameMagic. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/1000th, 1/1000th, 1/640th, and 1/800th.
Monarch Chrysalis
When I visit the Wells Estuarine Research Reserve at Laudholm Farms in Wells, Maine, I park my trike on the grass beside the bike rack beyond the Handicapped Parking signs. As I passed carefully between the signs yesterday there was a nice fresh Monarch chrysalis hanging, right at my eye level on the trike, from the underside of one of the signs. Too good an opportunity to miss, and before I road away after my hike, I set my iPhone up with the Sirui 10x Macor lens and took a number of shots. It is a fascinating structure, and there were still water drops on it from the rain overnight. Altogether a thing of beauty. It is a rather exposed spot and I can only hope it survives to be a butterfly. iPhone SE with Moment thin case and Sirui 10x Macro lens. Standard Apple Camera app with Smart HDR engaged. Processed Apple Photos.
Muskrat Monarch
Monarch Butterfly, Muskrat Pond, Medomak, Maine, USA — It is the season of the Monarch in Maine, whether I am in Kennebunk around home, or, apparently, further north in Medomak. There are large stands of goldenrod and the invasive Himalayan Balsam between the road and the edge of Muskrat Pond, and the Monarchs were working it on the overcast morning we visited. The color contrasts make the shot. Just another Monarch? Perhaps not in this setting. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr and Apple Photos. ISO 125 @ f4 @ 1/500th.