Butterfly On A Wet Afternoon

Golden Light

I passed by this field of flowers as the late afternoon was lapsing into early evening.  I was on my way to the market, but I could not help but stop to admire the scenery.  The whole field was bathed in the beautiful warm glow of the lowering sun, and together with the dancing butterflies it made for a lovely scene.

Not A Moth

I wasn't too sure whether this was a butterfly or a moth.  I rather suspected the latter, owing to the rounded shape of the wings and fairly stubby-looking body (it has ever been my -- probably groundless -- prejudice that butterflies have pointier wings and sleek, slender bodies).  But a quick online search disclosed the fact that moths have feathery antennae whereas butterflies have smooth ones, which this specimen has.  So butterfly it is.

Flower on the wing

I'm not normally much about conventionally "pretty" shots, but I have to admit this is a really, really pretty shot.  And all the more precious because it's, well, impossible to duplicate.  It's just one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments.

A New Neighborhood Butterfly

I say "New", because my guess is that this is not the same butterfly I named the Neighborhood Butterfly last year.  But since it looks to be the same species, and I did witness a pair of them mating, I suppose this individual could be their direct descendant.  Which makes it the New Neighborhood Butterfly for the neighborhood.

A Happier Butterfly Photo

Related Post:  Another Butterfly Story

Another Butterfly Story

WHAT IS IT WITH ME AND DYING BUTTERFLIES

Tuesday was fairly windy all day.  As I set out for my usual morning walk I could feel the changing of the seasons in the cool breezy air and wished I had thought to put on a warmer jacket.  As I rounded the corner of the courthouse parking lot, I came upon this.

It was a butterfly, apparently in a seriously weakened state and unable to fly.

As I crouched down for a closer look I realized part of its right wing had been torn away.  Didn't I see one just like this once before?  But surely it could not be the same individual --
 

It was helpless against the wind and gripping the sidewalk for dear life was all it could do as it was repeatedly blown down on its side, but still it kept righting itself each time.

I could see its life was nearing the end.  I wanted to keep vigil beside it and watch its final moments -- lend its death on the sidewalk some dignity by witnessing it -- but I could not stay;  I had to get back to the office.  I thought about at least getting it off its obvious location on the sidewalk so that it wouldn't get stepped on or eaten by a bird, but there were no likely places in the immediate vicinity, and placing it in the grass might actually cause it to be eaten by other insects while still alive.  Also, forcibly picking it up when its feet were gripping the cement might cause it additional injury.  I decided to leave it where it was.

In the afternoon I came back to the spot to check on it, half expecting it to be gone.  It was still there, lying dead but untouched.  I picked it up and placed it in the grass by the sidewalk.  Now nature could take its course.

Butterfly And Butterfly Shadow

Butterflies Do Not Mate On The Wing?

Looks like somebody was in an awful hurry.

'Neighborhood Butterfly'

Strictly speaking, this post should be titled 'Random Flitting Object #2' -- but I think this may be the same butterfly I encountered several weeks ago in the same parking lot ('Random Flitting Object', April 9), which would make it a Neighborhood Butterfly, like a Neighborhood Stray Cat or Neighborhood Thrift Shop.  I find the phrase amusing.

Not that I'm proud of it or anything, but I'm willing to bet no one has ever assigned the 'Neighborhood X' role to a butterfly or, indeed, any insect before (as in, "Bugger that neighborhood cicada!  It's so LOUD!").

And what if one or more of the earthworms I rescued from the sidewalk and returned to the soil were 'repeaters'?  That would certainly qualify them as 'Neighborhood Worms' (in addition to being dangerously immune to learning from a  mistake), which I find even more amusing.

Where A Butterfly Has Passed

A flower saw her and fell in love

And tried to follow her

The unknowing butterfly

'Random Flitting Object'

Sunlight Through Wings

Butterfly Encounter

Around lunchtime today I was out shooting this beautiful sunbow when I saw something else that attracted my attention (below and to the left of center).

Here is a detail:

Struck by its fragile, melancholy beauty set against the grandeur of the backdrop, I took a few more shots in quick succession.  Despite its quick and erratic movements I was able to track the subject well, keeping it centered in the frame.  I was quite proud of myself.

Only later did I realize that the poor creature had half a wing torn away, probably by a bird.  It must have narrowly escaped being eaten.  I know there's a Taoist/Buddhist lesson in there somewhere, about ephemerality, transience and impermanence.