butterflies
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Cloak and Dagger
Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) in the flowers of an early blooming crab apple (Malus). Actually, on second viewing, this seems to be a cherry (Prunus). The butterfly’s long tongue, rather like an oil derrick, or a dagger, plunging into the heart of the nectar. Seems like a good year for Mourning Cloaks. Note that this…
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Mourning Cloaks
The forest at NYBG was full of Mourning Cloaks over the weekend. Some were butterfly-flitting about and some were perched in the sun.
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Nymphalis antiopa
My first butterfly of the year, the not unexpected Mourning Cloak, soaking up the sun in Green-Wood Cemetery today. The velvety wings dotted with blue/purple spots and edged in gilt are a most welcome sight.This may be our longest-lived species of butterfly, 10-11 months as an adult. They tuck themselves away somewhere to overwinter —…
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Monarchs
The air above Fort Tilden’s narrow reach was full of Tree Swallows and, to a lesser extent, Monarch Butterflies. The Monarchs were being pushed hard towards the east in the breeze. We saw about a dozen of them. One was quite high, noticed as we watched a Peregrine on patrol way up there.Danaus plexippus. Some…
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O You’ve Got Green Eyes
Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice).
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On Plumb Beach
Plumb Beach is off the Belt Parkway between Sheepshead Bay and Flatbush Avenue. The Parks Dept.’s website calls it Plumb; Parks Dept. signs on site call it Plum; it is supposed to be named after Beach Plums (Prunus maritima). It has a unexpected history, although perhaps not for Brooklyn’s wild edges, capped more recently by…
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Two Butterflies
Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades).Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos); this one was particularly attached to this pebble.
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Butterfly Dependence
A short walk on the High Line yesterday morning:There were several Red Admirals (Vanessa atalanta); this one was all over the Purple Coneflower (Echinacea).Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus). Not as close to the camera: my first Monarch of the year. On Blazing Star (Liatris spicata).
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Butterflies Galore
Over the weekend, I lost count of the number of species of butterflies I saw, most of them for the first time this year. This included a Monarch (predictably scouting out Milkweeds), so that’s a good start. American Ladies (Vanessa virginiensis), like the one above in Green-Wood, and Red Admirals were all over.There were at…
Backyard and Beyond 