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Category Archives: butterflies
Butterfly Faces
Sometimes when you get up close and personal with butterflies you see some things that are surprising. Butterflies can be unusual creatures, but have you really taken a close look at them? Check out the spots on the eyes of … Continue reading
Posted in butterflies, gray hairstreak
Tagged butterfly eyelashes, butterfly mustaches, macro photography
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The Dance of Life
Butterflies have a little dance they do prior to mating (or sometimes prior to not mating). It often includes shimmering, shaking, and flying around in circling chases. I saw two silver-spotted skippers in the dance this morning. They started in … Continue reading
Posted in butterflies, dragonflies, insects, Junonia coenia
Tagged dance of life, macro photography, summer
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Today’s Critters
Today was a beautiful day and I was able to spend a little time wandering around with my camera. There were lots of cool insects out. This viceroy was taking nectar from rattlesnake master. An eastern tiger swallowtail was working … Continue reading
Posted in butterflies, insects
Tagged ambush bug, butterflies, Dragonflies, macro photography
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Recent Butterflies
Butterflies are less common this year than most. Still, there are some good ones out there. This is a summer azure, one of the two most common blue butterflies in Iowa. You can tell the difference between them by how … Continue reading
Posted in butterflies, eastern tailed-blue, Silver-spotted skipper
Tagged butterflies, macro photography, nature, summer azure
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Failing at Butterflies (but working through it)
There is an old saying that a bad day fishing beats a good day at work. The same is true about chasing butterflies. Still, when you do something you love to do there are times it just does not work … Continue reading
Posted in butterflies, common buckeye, Junonia coenia, little yellow, Uncategorized
Tagged Iowa nature, macro photography, photography, prairies
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Weekend Photos
We had great weather for people this weekend. It was a little too windy and cool for butterfly photography, though. Still, I did get some shots. The milkweeds are still in bloom, and still drawing in butterflies like this gray … Continue reading
Posted in Biological diversity, butterflies, common buckeye, rural scenics, Uncategorized
Tagged bullfrog, macro photography, photography
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Milkweed and Butterflies
We live along a gravel road, and on both sides there is plenty of common milkweed. Common milkweed, like most milkweed species, can be quite fragrant at times and is attractive to many different pollinators. I especially like it when … Continue reading
Posted in butterflies, monarch, Uncategorized
Tagged common milkweed, dun skipper, hairstreak butterflies, macro photography
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On Ripley Esker
One of my job duties requires me to go to Camp Ripley in Minnesota about every year. We do an internal audit of our Environmental Management System, and since you cannot audit yourself (or the work you have done), we … Continue reading
Posted in Biological diversity, butterflies, dragonflies, insects
Tagged macro photography, Minnesota, nature, prairies, Ripley esker
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Recent Butterflies
The last couple of days has been very hot with strong winds. The winds make the butterflies less likely to fly around like they normally do. When they do take to the wing they are obviously bothered by it. They … Continue reading
Yesterday and Today
I went to Medora Prairie yesterday, which is a TNC preserve located east of New Virginia, Iowa. This area is home to some of Iowa’s rarest butterflies. While I did not see any of the rare ones, I did get … Continue reading
Posted in Biological diversity, butterflies, rural, rural scenics, Uncategorized
Tagged macro photography, nature, photography
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