2011/08/15

Butterflies other than Whites

Today's a good Sunday.

Nice weather.

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Found this small unknown Weevil (Family Curculionidae). Love the strange proboscis on this group of insects.

While walking along the railroad tracks, I saw a yellow butterfly flying fast and high in the canopy. It was a Western Tiger Swallowtail! It was so exciting to see this beautiful butterfly again - saw the Eastern species in Ontario last summer and something similar in Ivvavik National Park. However, it was so fast and liked to rest away from the trails that it was impossible to get a photo of it. While sitting on the tracks wondering how long I should wait before giving up, another butterfly flew in front of me.

It was a Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)!

And then eventually, the swallowtail landed close enough for me to see it through the leaves.

Then it landed closer! And so I was able to get a closer photo!

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Hello, beautiful butterfly!

The swallowtail stayed long enough for me to take some photos, and then it was off and disappeared in the forest. What a cool experience!

Then I saw this beetle scurrying past me. I stopped it with a stick and examined it closely. It had many mites on it, must be a terrible feeling to be carrying pests on your body.

The people at BugGuide kindly identified it as a Granulated Carabid (Carabus granulatus).

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Look at all those mites! Yuck!

People working hard on a Sunday to bring fresh food to our tables.

Then it was time to head home, but before then, I had to stop and photograph the cats of Finn Slough.

Napping Number Four

Unnamed Cat in Finn Slough
First time photographing this cat, even though I seen it many times before.

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