Monarch of the skies

So this afternoon I have been to Mission Marsh just outside of Thunder Bay in Ontario. Yes I am in Canada for a holiday and I am going to be taking my camera with me everywhere I go. The shots however were captured using the camera on my phone and are exactly as shot.

This beautiful monarch butterfly is really one of nature's marvels. Every year they migrate from Mexico and as the summer comes to and end here in the north they navigate their way back to Mexico. Can you imagine that, something so delicate as this can fly all that way. Amazing!

Here it is feeding on Golden Rod, no doubt storing up energy for the journey ahead. It really looks great set against the golden backdrop.

Hidden Beauty

Ok, so there is nothing hidden about the beauty in the first shot, it is quite simply a stunningly beautiful butterfly and he is putting it all out proudly on display.

In the second image however the butterfly is of a much different kind, preferring to hide its light so to speak. Yesterday's image of the Chameleon was all about body language and camouflage and so it seemed right to show two different, contrasting creatures today with the bold colours to attract attention for one and the full on camouflage for the other.

There is so much to love about the world we live in.

Red Admiral

Photographing butterflies can be quite tricky and you definitely need to be quick off the mark to get a good shot. 

Today's shot while not the sharpest is still a good image showing off the beauty of this fantastic butterfly the Red Admiral.

I give you... Butterflies!

Yes indeed, here are a couple of beautiful butterflies just for you.

The second is a Tiger-Striped Longwing from Central and South America, I love the colours and striking pattern and I like the fine detail of the white spots on the trailing edge of its secondary wings.  It is really stunning.

I have saved my comments on the first specimen for a reason and anyone who knows me will know why I found this interesting.

The first is a Common Mormon from across Asia. I thought this was a really interesting name for a butterfly and I wondered why it had earned this name. Apparently it is because there is just one variant of the male of the species but there are three female variants and it is an allusion to the early Mormon practice of polygamy (now discontinued of course). 

I am unable to tell you whether this is a male or a female but it is a real beauty with its dusky black wings with silvery stripes and little red highlights. 

Come back tomorrow and I will have some more butterflies to share with you...

It's Not All Black & White

This is a male Lime Swallowtail (Papilio demoloeus) it is also known as common lime butterfly, lemon butterfly, small citrus butterfly or chequered swallowtail (among other names). You can tell the difference between the male and females because the female has a flash of blue above the red spots on its wings.

Although they are predominantly black and white the name does not relate to their colouring but to the plants they feed on which are predominantly citrus plants.

According to wikipedia this species is a pest or invasive species having spread from Australia and Asia to the Caribbean and Central America.

Here's Looking at You

These macro shots are of a beautiful Owl butterfly. I love the iridescent pattern on the wing and I was amazed by the pattern in its eye