A flame in Florida

Here are some pictures of one of my favorite butterflies, the Gulf Fritillary. This orange beauty isn't found in Delaware, but it can be found in parts of North Carolina.

In this case, April and I were in Orlando at Meade Park, the same day we had our dolphin experience at Discovery Cove. I'd say that seeing a Gulf Fritillary was a great way to end the day!

PS: I haven't mentioned this before, but in case you didn't know, by clicking on any of these pictures you can see them in their entirety! (I would highly recommend it for the first Gulf Fritillary picture.)

Gulf Fritillary, Meade Park, July 2009

A flash of blue

Here's a particularly small, but very beautiful butterfly known as the Eastern Tailed-Blue. They are pretty common, and easily found in fields, along roadsides, etc. I photographed these two individuals at the Middle Run Natural Area near Tri-State Bird Rescue in Newark, DE. The first photo shows the markings on a set of closed wings, while the second picture gives a taste of why this butterfly is so aptly named. Look closely for the small 'tails' extending from the bottom margin of the hindwing (more easily seen in the second picture).

Eastern Tailed-Blue, Middle Run Natural Area, July 2007

One of my first butterfly pictures

After having been an avid birder for a few years, I started chasing butterflies in July, 2007. April had been talking about the butterflies they were seeing on Ashland programs, so I decided to go find some for myself. Luckily for me, my first day included getting some nice snapshots of a Great Spangled Fritillary at White Clay Creek State Park in Newark, DE.

Great Spangled Fritillary, White Clay Creek SP, July 2007