Copyright ©2021 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
A friend came up for the week-end and we birded, and admired wildflowers, and hiked. He-Man even joined us on the longest hike which was just over 6 miles, and we climbed 640ft in the Eastern Sierras.
We also had the pleasure of seeing several butterflies. Here are two.
I think this is a Fritillary maybe a Meadow Fritillary? If you know what it is I’d love to know for sure.
This one I was able to identify as the Western White Butterfly.
This one is a first for me!
The wildflowers in the high country are in full bloom and gorgeous, and I’ve picked up a few new to me birds! I’ll be sharing those in future posts…after I have nailed down their identities. I’m still not quite certain on two of them.
Merlin my bird app isn’t giving me a definitive answer so, I’m still trying to figure them out.
The smoke here seems to get better, then it gets worse. The Tamarack Fire is still burning and when I last checked it was still 0% contained and the winds in the afternoon have been very gusty not helping the fire crews at. all!
I am hopeful that fire crews will be able to get it under control sooner rather than later.
That’s about it from here. I hope your week is going well.
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more to come…
Circadianreflections Blog 
Images of butterflies on flowers are truly among my favorites. Such peace and beauty. Great shot, Deborah. 🙂 🦋
Thank you so much, Paul! They’re among my favorites too. I’m so glad you like these. 😀
gorgeous images of summer Deb!
Thank you so much, Hanna! I hope all is well with you and yours! 😀
What a treat for me to have almost missed. Your butterfly photos stirred my sense of whimsy, Deborah. The first one is particularly beautiful. Either would make a lovely book cover.
I hope the Tamarack Fire has been contained. Fires are so frightening.
Hugs on the wing!
Thanks for sharing these butterfly pictures. Our dear Dina is photographing butterflies now as well. In our “Mecca of Birdwatching” most of the birdwatcher go butterfly and moth watching in summer.
Dina waited today a long, long time on our picturesk grave yard for a butterfly sitting down relaxed on an old gravestone – all in vain.
Thanks and cheers
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thank you so much!
It does take patience and an early start to photographing butterflies doesn’t it. I hope Dina is successful though!! 😀
Any and every butterfly makes me stop and look. This one is a beauty!
Me too, Jennie! Thank you so much. 😀
You are very welcome, Deborah! 😍
Your photos of the two butterflies and their surrounding flora are beautiful, Deborah. I liked hearing about your adventure in the Eastern Sierras. I had been wondering about that particular fire and the containment, and was sad to hear it’s still 0%. Looking forward to seeing the birds and lifers you spotted too. Thanks for sharing your adventure.
Thank you so much, Jet! Oh, I read the Tamarack Fire was 4% contained which isn’t much at all. The afternoon Washoe Zephyr wind isn’t helping either. The air quality is awful. We’re praying for the firefighters, and those who have been evacuated.
Ah, well, regarding the birds, there is a slight disappoint with one of the birds I thought was a lifer. It turns out it’s a young Yellow Rump Warbler…so not really a lifer, but now I know what they look like young! 😂 I do have two birds to share that are new to me though.
I hope you and Athena have a lovely week!
It’s tricky this time of the year when all the juveniles and fledglings are about. Have fun!
😀
Great captures! I especially like the butterflies flower choice and background pattern in the second! 😉
Thank you so much, Denise! Isn’t amazing how they just know which colors compliment them so well. 😀
Lovely pictures – they are not at all easy. I tried to take some of butterflies I saw yesterday and missed them all. I’ve been very sorry to read about the fires and that the smoke is affecting your air quality. We live in a scary world.
Thank you so much!! I hope you keep trying to get some nice images of the Butterflies where you are! I find the mornings the best because they’ll still land and try to warm up. Once they’re warmed up they don’t land as very much.
Yesterday afternoon we had a blue sky and better air quality! It had been days and days since we’ve had either!
Such beautiful photographs! Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much, Kendall! 😀
Welcome!
Both shots very pretty, Deborah! I’m no help on butterfly and flower names, I try to learn them but then I forget. I got too many bird species in my brain! 😍
Thank you so much, Donna! I’m the same at least until I’ve seen them a few times you know like birds. 😀😂
Hi Deborah, I think the flower with the Yellow Butterfly is Mountain Pennyroyal, or Mountain Mint. I think the second flower is a Thistle, California Thistle. Beautiful pictures. Let me know how the Bird hike goes tomorrow! Jarlath
On Wed, Jul 21, 2021 at 4:45 AM Circadianreflections Blog wrote:
> circadianreflections posted: ” Copyright ©2021 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL > RIGHTS RESERVED A friend came up for the week-end and we birded, and > admired wildflowers, and hiked. He-Man even joined us on the longest hike > which was just over 6 miles, and we climbed 640ft in the Eastern Sie” >
Hi!! How is your trip going? You were missed this morning. It was kinda quiet, but we did see a White Faced Ibis which was cool.
Thank you so much for the flower ID! 🥰
In Austin we have butterflies that look similar to both of these. I wonder if that’s true for other places as well.
I wonder the same, and when I discover that there are the same species in places far, far from me I am amazed and wonder how they got there or here…by boat, plane, or the wind, or the break up of land masses ages ago perhaps? 😀
In the case of the two butterflies you showed here, I don’t know that Austin has the same ones, just similar. In other instances I’ve been surprised that the same species occurs far apart. For example, the red admiral is found in Europe as well as Texas.
So pretty!
It’s a very bad fire season this year. Take care.
Thank you, Belinda! Another year of forest fires…it’s frustrating that in the 21 century good forest management is still such a hard thing to do. Cleaning out dead and dying trees from the floor and forest seems like a good thing to reinstate. Don’t get me started on this soap box! You take care up there too! 🥰
Oh dear Deborah, I do hope you are safe there. We had half a year of thick smoke here last year with our horrific fires, worst in history, yours sound terrible also with so many blazing it it did for us. We have one of our fire fighting planes on its way there now. People here are still recovering from the effects of the thick smoke and devastation caused by the fires, we lost sooo much forest and wildlife, so many birds never returned this year, but the Aussie forest is rejuvenating. Loved your butterflies they are so pretty, we do not see many nice ones here, just the Cabbage White which infects our herbs and veges with its eggs. The pretties and largest are in Far North Queensland. We will be praying for protection for your safety as well as your home at this time my friend
Thank you, Ashley! So far we’re alright! It’s been a bit nuts this July with earthquakes and fires, but we’re okay and prepared to bug out if we have to.
We have the Cabbage White as well. It gets around doesn’t it? 😀
You two take care as well, and I hope your lockdown ends soon!
I’ve never seen that yellow one before. We have lots of the white ones here and in Panama.
Thank you, Cheryl! My grandparents were stationed in Panama back in the day. I’ve had it on my bucket list forever just because they were there. 😀
If you go be sure to visit Boquete. A beautiful mountain paradise. 💕
This might assist in identifying the butterflies. Beautiful photos.
https://gardenswithwings.com/
This is a better link. https://gardenswithwings.com/identify-butterflies
Oh, that’s a nice site! Thank you Sheila!! I have a different one bookmarked, but have now bookmarked this one. I plugged in the shape and right on the first page was the Great Spangled Fritillary and I do believe that’s the one I was seeing up in the high country!! Merci une mille fois!!
You are welcome! Glad you like the site.
Thank you!! 🥰
Sorry about the fires. Always a troubling time in the summer. Glad you got to see some once-in-a-lifetime birds and butterflies. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much, John!!
Two lovely butterflies, the first is defo a fritillary we have a few frits in the UK and they are gorgeous. The name fritillary comes from Latin for a dice box due to the spotting. Aren’t I full of useless, I mean useful info 😁
Awesome trivia fact on the Fritillary, Brian! I love it!! Thank you so much!! 😀
Beautiful butterflies indeed but the fire situation isn’t not at all beautiful but quite scary. I don’t think we’ve had much smoke here but we’re off to Wyoming very soon and there may be some there. How else could it get to the east coast without passing Wyoming? Praying for the safety of all fighting the first, all in the area of the fires, that the fires don’t destroy any more homes, and that no lives are lost!
Thank you, Janet! You would love this hike!
I hope the firefighters can knock this fire down soon!
I’m so excited for your trip. I know how much you love your summer get away home. 💕
I think we’ll be dealing with some smoke there also but I’m looking forward to it so much. I imagine I’ll have a few photos to share when I get back. As for the hike, one of these days I hope to make it with you.
I hope you’re high enough to avoid most the smoke there. I’m looking forward to your images from your vacation.
Yes, let’s hope next year we can meet up!
I talked to my s-i-l who was there recently and she said there is smoke. I’ll enjoy being there anyway. 🙂
Beautiful photos and lovely subjects. I really like seeing butterflies. I’m glad you have been able to get out and hike. New birds, new butterflies – sounds like productive outings all around.
Thank you, Dan! We went up to the high mountains where we could get out of the smoke, and Spring is in bloom, but the smoke followed us sadly.
We have smoke from the Bootleg fire in Oregon showing up here. We thought it was haze from all the rain, but they ran articles yesterday warning people with allergies and asthma that it’s smoke.
I saw that on the news last night that the wind was carrying the smoke from that fire all across the country!! It’s not good.
I was surprised.
Me too!
Beautiful shots, as always! I have never heard of a fritillary…the name makes sense though…it looks a bit like the flower fritillaria. I wonder which name came first…the butterfly or the flower?
Deb
Oh, thank you, Deb!! I’m going to look up that flower and see if it’s a match. The flower or the Butterfly? My guess would be the flower. 😂
Aren’t butterflies always a great motif? Beautiful creatures and great shots. 🙂
Thank you so much, Pit! They are great and way up on the list of my favorite insects. 😀
🙂
I like butterflies and your photos show them in beautiful detail. I read about the fires out west and am concerned. I hope you’re able to stay safe.
Thank you so much, Ally! Us too about being concerned. The fire is creeping closer to our valley, and has already distroyed so many acres and structures. We’re keeping our eyes and ears open. I have things we need to go ready to grab if we need to bug out. We had that scare earlier this summer. I hope it doesn’t come to that though!