Just one picture today. That's because it took me most of an hour to figure out how to label this cute little orange guy.
I'm pretty sure this is a silvery checkerspot, Chlosyne nycteis. It's a butterfly that is one of the Brush-footed butterflies. The size is a little over an inch across. I was about 10 feet away, and got this with the telephoto, so I didn't get to see any detail except what I can see in the picture. It was flitting around the field.
Note: August 27, 2011- This is NOT a checkerspot. It is a Northern Crescent, Phyciodes cocyta, which are also found in Michigan.
I'm no butterfly expert, and I thought this was a skipper. So I looked in my (not so good) butterfly book, with no good results. I looked on line. Finally I was reduced to finding a list of all 45 skippers in Michigan and looking for their pictures. No luck.
So I switched to looking at other Michigan butterflies. It's the same color as some fritillaries, so I looked at 12 of them. Close, but no cigar! So I just kept going down the list and this is the best match.
It says they like open meadows, roadsides, and lake edges. Yup!
9 comments:
Taking photos of butterflies is infuriatingly infuriating! They just keep moving so bleeping fast some days. Good shot. Can't help on the id though. :(
I never even see butterflies so you are certainly superior in that department. It's amazing to me that you can photograph them at all!
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What a great picture. I need to get a telephoto lens for my camera. I can never get close enough to get good shots with the one I have.
I took pictures of another butterfly in my garden yesterday evening.
It must be having a long rest since it won't move even rain started to fall.
Lovely shot of a difficult subject, (having chased a few in my time) :)
Good shot, Sharky! Who knew you were so far away??? I'm gonna miss the butterflies in a few weeks. :(
What a special capture! I don't think I have ever one of these. Your patiences really paid-off.
Julia- Maybe you can help with today's. I've got a frowny face about this one.
Carmen- why don't you see them?
Ann- too hard to get close without telephoto, that's for sure.
Carol- I'll bet you have. You are always hunting for flowers, even if they are flying!
Lin- Yup, no winter butterflies!
Jean- well, I don't know if I have or haven't. I've never been too much of a butterfly chaser.
Great capture, shark. It's so difficult for me to photograph them and I'm always chasing them around with the camera. Maybe that's why I can't capture them. I should stop chasing them :D
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