Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.
As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”
There are moments when the beauty of the world takes your breath away. 
Like, for instance, when a Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis) spreads its wings in a patch of sunlight, opening and closing them in quick succession — as if were silently clapping — and flashing this incredible blue iridescence. And then you remember why you are living.
Come on, butterfly!
It’s late and we’ve leagues to go
with each other still.
~ Bashō
(my synthesis of several translations)
Yes, we’re looking forward to releasing the butterfly we’ve been raising in 10 days or so – think it’ll be a bittersweet moment though!
And what a beautiful caterpillar that has been, too. Amazing shots of the caterpillar who came in from the heat http://theoakandfeather.wordpress.com/2013/08/09/swallowtailcaterpillar/
Such an exquisite blue..
Would love to see one of these…we only get the “White Admirals” here in Ottawa. The Red-spotted Purple is beautiful on both sides of its wings!
Certainly is odd that they are considered the same species, isn’t it? I would like to see a White Admiral and an intergrade between the two.
I think they have all three species in southern Ontario. I usually don’t go there in the summer (just in the spring for migration at Point Pelee), but I may have to reconsider given all the neat bugs they have there!
Re: being the same species, I guess it’s no different than us Homo sapiens coming in all different colours!
[…] White Admiral, which is generally found further north (I’ve never seen one). Here’s another I spotted some years ago in Prospect with more […]
[…] bonus: a Red-spotted Purple, uncommon around […]
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