Day 314: As I started to open the back door this morning, I spotted a large orange butterfly at rest on the Echinacea which grows in the strawberry jar at the edge of the steps. Before I could get the camera, it had flown, but it wasn't long before I noticed another one (or perhaps the same one) flitting around the yard. I tried sneaking up on it, but it refused to settle on any plant. I gave it up as a lost cause, but when I returned to the porch, there was another one (couldn't have been the same one) perched on the Echinacea. Before I could get the camera raised, it took flight. I could see this was not going to be an easy project, but it had promise. I went inside to get the tripod and when I got back, yep, there was another one sitting on the Echinacea. I opened the door and...well, I didn't think this was going to be easy.
The fact that all three butterflies had shown a preference for one particular Echinacea blossom was encouraging. I set up the tripod and focused the camera on the flower. I had to wait about ten minutes before another one came by, but it landed on the same blossom, unfortunately facing me so I couldn't get a good dorsal view.
Lest I bore you with repeats of essentially the same scenario as they occurred over the next half hour, let me simply cut to the chase and present to you the Great Spangled Fritillary, Speyeria cybele, who prefers a habitat of moist meadows and forests. I have both, and apparently a large number of these large orange patrons also enjoy a bit of Echinacea from time to time.
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