More pretty flowers and butterflies, this time from Meadowlark Gardens in August 2011.
I could sit and watch butterflies for a very long time. At Meadowlark there is a garden especially designed to attract them. There were dozens on this occasion. In the photo above you can just make out two almost in the center, their fluttering around us was almost like a ballet of carefully synchronized movement, which was mesmerizing.
A butterfly says, "The caterpillar-me is history,
My metamorphosis a mystery, and today...
Today is a present my struggle gifted me.
~Manali Oak~
"Butterflies...flowers that fly and all but sing."
~Robert Frost~
And what's a butterfly? At best he's but a caterpillar at rest.
~John Grey~
Did you know that there are about 28,000 butterfly species in the world?
Butterflies cannot fly if their body temperature is less than 86 degrees, or so I read. Any experts out there that can verify?
I saw several on my walk and I noticed that some had had a very tough time of it. In the picture below if you look closely at the butterfly on the right, something seems to have taken a bite out of its wing. There were quite a few with battle scars.
Do you see it? It looks like it had a very lucky escape.
A butterfly is a miracle,
A divine creation that fleets,
After propelling the caterpillar within,
An array of predators it cheats.
~Dr. Maisie~
As you can see, I had a wonderful time taking photos of butterflies back then. I haven't had as much success lately but hope to put that to rights next year.
It makes me doubly happy I have these photos to look back on.
I recognize the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and the Monarch, a couple of Skippers, but I am a bit fuzzy on my other butterflies. I think I have found the ID below. I believe it is the American Lady. You can compare the outside wings at this link.
I definitely need a refresher course. That's my aim this week. I will come back and ID if I can.
I only ask to be free. The butterflies are free.
~Charles Dickens~
Thank you for looking
and
Happy Sunday!
Butterflies OR flowers take me to a happy place. Butterflies and flowers? Bliss. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThey are gorgeous! I think my favorites would be the white with dark blue, and the black one. The first butterfly photo is a Woodland Skipper. See how it looks like it has four wings?
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful! Thank you, Denise, for brightening my day.
ReplyDeleteWOW, beautiful. How wonderful to get to see all these. These pictures remind me of the ones my daughter has taken at a butterfly place that her and her friend have gone to in Canada.
ReplyDeleteThe butterflies are very nice
ReplyDeleteGorgeous butterflies 🦋 beautiful
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos and they are fantastic b flys
ReplyDeleteHello Denise,
ReplyDeleteI could sit and watch the butterflies for a long time too.
They are all so pretty, lovely flowers and garden photos.
Take care, have a great week!
Beautiful butterflies, such delicate creatures. They do begin to look rather worn towards the end of their lives. The one with the piece missing was very lucky to escape whatever grabbed it.
ReplyDeleteI will leave you the pleasure of identifying the butterflies, Denise, but if you need help let me know. It is quite remarkable just how much of a butterfly’s wing can be damaged without the insect losing its ability to fly.
ReplyDeleteWhat interesting butterfly facts. 28,000 species?!?! Some of those quotes were spot on.
ReplyDelete