The butterflies believe our spring has arrived. Tom used his better camera to take these pictures of an Eastern Comma. I use a Fujifilm Finepix JZ300 which is small and can be carried in a pocket. It is a good aim and shoot digital camera but it isn't capable of taking good distance shots like these.
I was surprised to see the Comma which gets its name from a small silver crescent on the underside of each of its hind wings. Then I looked in Butterflies of Ohio, a field guide by Jaret C. Daniels. Sure enough, this is a butterfly that lives through the winter as an adult. It hibernates in log piles or tree hollows or even man-made structures.
The butterfly below is the Mourning Cloak. I caught a glimpse of one a couple weeks ago at Garbry. It is distinctive with its dark wings with their light borders. It is also a hibernator. As you can see by the green leaves, this is a photo that Tom took a year or two ago later in the spring.
The butterfly I am watching for is the Red Admiral. Usually, I see it very early at Brukner Nature Center. We are far enough south so it, too, can survive through the winter as an adult. This is another photo that Tom took several years ago. The Red Admiral is resting on the bark of a tree.
One memorable spring day, a friend and I saw a congregation of Red Admirals feasting on wet sap dripping down the bark of a tree. Neither of us had ever seen so many Red Admirals dining together. I have never since seen such a big Red Admiral party. And, of course, I didn't have a camera!
What beautiful butterfly. Me encanta la naturaleza y toda la majestuosidad que ella representa.
ReplyDeleteSaludos,
Postes de madera