Pearl Crescent
This Pearl Crescent butterfly rests peacefully in a bed of white and yellow flowers. According to “An Instant Guide to Butterflies” by Pamela Forey and Cecilia Fitzsimons, male Pearl Crescents patrol their territory and will fly at other butterflies and insects.
Mourning Cloak
This Mourning Cloak butterfly stops to rest and feed in a patch of tiny, purple wild flowers. I encountered it while hiking with a friend this spring in the Great Dismal Swamp near Suffolk, VA.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Color
A Zebra Swallowtail butterfly feeds on henbit and buttercups along the Washington Ditch in the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge near Suffolk, Virginia.
White Admiral and Berries
Walking through a vineyard near Scottsville, VA, I spotted this White Admiral butterfly perched near colorful berries.
Pipe Vine Swallowtail
Searching for good photographic subjects on Big Walker Mountain, I happened upon a group of these large, blue and black butterflies. My friend James Shelton, who is quite the amateur entomologist, tells me this butterfly is a Pipe Vine Swallowtail.
Zabulon Skipper
While attempting to photograph some bumble bees at work I noticed this little skipper flitting among the wild flowers. I’m not certain I’ve identified it correctly but I believe it is a Zabulon Skipper.
Red Admiral
A Red Admiral butterfly rests among the vegetation at Deep Run Park in Henrico County, VA.
Butterfly At Work
During a recent visit to the Big Walker Mountain Lookout tower, near Wytheville, VA, I noticed large blue and black winged butterflies busily gathering nectar from nearby flowers. I had my camera on a slow ISO setting and the evening light was beginning to fade. The resulting image of a blurred butterfly seemed appropriate to me since they seemed to never stop moving.