Sunday morning I woke up and went butterfly hunting. Now, the thing about that is my favorite butterfly hunting spot is a preserve. As in, everything is legally protected. And you can't take anything out. But I would never do that.
I was getting into the car and the Duskywings were flying around. I think I've got my own colony now.
But when I got to the preserve, there were darker Duskywings. I sent my photos to BAMONA for identification so I should hear back in about two months. Not kidding, folks.
There was a Gulf Frit taunting me from across the road.
And this is why I do it, folks. This is a Spicebush Swallowtail cat I found on Redbay that was molting. He may or may not be in my house. I plead the Fifth.
You already saw my Zebra ST cat photos. Those have to stay in the woods because I don't grow Pawpaw.
Here's a cool Skipper. He was very well-behaved and sat still. On a Pawpaw, coincidentally.
Saw some Common Buckeyes, including one that was missing the bottom of his wings! He was still truckin', though.
The whole time I was being stalked by damselflies. Seriously, there were so many of these things!
I saw a Palamedes ST, a couple of Spicebush STs and tons of Zebra STs. But they were being kind of uppity and ignoring me. I had used the back entrance to the preserve, but I decided to go around to the side entrance. (This involves getting in the car and driving a few miles.) There were a lot of signs about construction and off limits but I took that as a suggestion rather than a rule. I checked the county website when I got home and they're expanding the Upper Tampa Bay Trail to go through this place. I'm like, "Really?" You're doing construction work in a "preserve" and I would get fined if I picked a flower? Anyway, the Zebra STs over there were nicer. We saw this yesterday, but here it is again.
Duskywings over on that side had lighter coloring.
Still checking Redbay trees and I found this cool-colored inchworm instead. Well, he's not a worm, he's a looper caterpillar. Haven't found him in my book, yet.
I was actually looking for some native orchids I know bloom over in that area. I have past photos from a previous year showing they bloomed in April but I couldn't find them. So I turned around, and walked back to the car. Got a picture of a bird which the bird folks told me was a Great Crested Flycatcher. So that was cool. Then, I drove back around to the main entrance. Yes, the place has three official entrances and I know all of them. I used to work for the county (although, I was an accountant but I knew people in Parks and Rec). So I get there and I'm checking the willows for Viceroys (no luck) but I almost stumbled on this Zebra Longwing. Always good to see them in the wild. No idea what plant it's on.
So I'm literally just inside the main entrance because I was too tired to walk anywhere at this point. I start looking around the parking area at the weeds and I see something familiar. An American Lady nest! Only found one, though. But that's better than none!
Still hanging next to my car. The "parking lot" is three regular spots and one disabled spot on gravel. And yet, it's where all the action was happening. Like this Phaeon Crescent.
Then, I saw some Blues flying around. Now, normally I have Cassius Blues. Everyone has them because they use plumbago as a host plant and everyone plants the stuff. It's in Wal-Mart parking lots and such. But I took a closer look and realized this was a Ceraunus Blue! And it was laying an egg! The kind folks over in the plant ID forum helped me confirm this is Creeping Indigo (Indigofera spicata). And I was the first one to add a picture to the plant database!
So after that excitement, I swung by Panera where I ordered a massive amount of food to refuel me. Which brings me to my next post back home...
