A butterfly I’ve never seen before — a queen — atop one of my all-time favorite wildflowers, spike verbena.
Sara Orange-Tip Butterflies
Two Sara orange-tips — one male (the blurry one) and the other female. I watched them for quite a while and wondered if it was part of a mating ritual. These butterflies have been some of the most difficult for me to photograph so I was happy to get this shot.
Sandia Hairstreak, 2020 Edition
After two years of a very sparse showing in the month of March (so sparse last year I thought I was watching an extinction!), Sandia hairstreaks are out in force this spring. I might add they seem to be making up for lost time — I’ve seen more duos chasing each other this year than ever before. I am so happy to see the little guys! And I’m happy to see spring arriving as well.
Painted Lady and Spike Verbena
A painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) browsing on wild spike verbena in the high Sandia mountains.