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DS and I spent Independence Day afternoon on Mandalay Road in Taylor County. It's one of my favourite butterfly spots, as there are almost always many Queens, Viceroys, Monarchs, etc. Due to our drought, though, we only saw one Queen, a handful of Gulf Fritillaries, 2 Viceroy, and one Silver-spotted Skipper. The skipper was a first for that location, so it wasn't a total bust.
He didn't stay in one place very long. Here he is, a tad closer, on one of my favourite shrubs, the Buttonbush.
There were quite a few dragonflies flitting about, including this red-orange beauty. I think it's a Needham's Skimmer. Or possibly a Golden-winged or, less likely, a Scarlet Skimmer. I wasn't able to get any closer than around 12', but he was very cooperative. Until a Great Blue Skimmer chased him off the perch. The GB wasn't the least bit interested in a photo shoot.
Also scarce were the Swamp Lilies, AKA String-Lilies
I haven't completely given up on this spot, though. I'll be back after we get some substantial rains. We've had a few nice afternoon thunderstorms, but many of the ponds and creeks are still dry.
It has to get better... right?
3 comments:
love the butterfly pictures made even better becasue they were wild ones!
Great shots! That dragonfly is stunning.
Thanks ever so, y'all! I do love that drive. If you ever get a chance to visit the area, be sure to check it out. It's a beautiful wild area, mostly, and the fishing is supposed to be pretty awesome.
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