I managed to get a couple of pics before it flew off.

Margaret: Great shot of that beautiful Fritillary! I wonder if it could be the Great Spangled Fritillary? http://www.cbif.gc.ca/spp_page...

Jay: Beautiful Swallowtail!!

Lin, that's what I was thinking it may be, I am going to Google and find a few more photos to comapre it too. It was beautiful and I got lots of photos.

Dave suggested the Variegated Fritillary but from what I read, that one doesn't appear as far north.

Another possibility is the Meadow Fritillary that is in your area: http://www.butterfliesandmoths...

and, the Mormon Fritillary: http://www.butterfliesandmoths...

I'm just so bad at trying to compare photo's for identification: http://northwestbutterflies.bl...

I think it is probably the Northwestern Fritillary Argynnis hesperis. Kind of makes sense since I live in the northwest.

Very nice Margaret

Thank you Lin and Ronnie.

Here's another Fritillary, markings looked similar to the first one but it was more yellow, do you think it could be a female Northwestern Fritillary Argynnis hesperis?

I believe this to be a Question Mark






I believe this to be a Black Swallowtail though it could be a Spicebush. It seems to me that there is " a pupil in the eye" on the underside of the wing.






Any thoughts? I am trying to get better at the identification. I am going on my first official butterfly count next Thursday.

It's a beauty whatever it is!

Dave, I think it's a pretty good guess on both butterflies.

I agree, Dave, I think you have them right too. Very nice pics!

Great photos, Dave!!!

Thanks guys. Sometimes these black Swallowtails are hard for me to tell apart. The easiest for me is the dark form Tiger because of the dash instead of dots on the wings.

Dave, that sure looks like the Question Mark ... great shot of that neat looking Butterfly ... Lovely Swallowtail too!

Summer Azure on Spearmint

We took a trip this evening to assess condition of the 'wild ditch' (a large drainage ditch that's fed by water from farm fields way out in the country where dwellings are sparse). The ditch is home (usually) to many kinds of butterflies and the wild Cardinal Flower. There weren't but a few clumps just starting to flower. However, we noted our first Monarch sighting this year. It was dusk and had to go full zoom but, well here it is -

These days any photo of a Monarch is appreciated. Nicely done.

J: Very pretty shots of the Summer Azure and I agree with Dave, I love seeing any shot of a Monarch; their wings always remind me of stained glass. Is that Milkweed: Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) that the Monarch is visiting?

Red spotted Purple drying wings after a quick, heavy downpour

Oh my goodness, that one is absolutely beautiful!!