This photo is of the Buffalo River about a mile below Ponca; also, the first Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly and a pair of immature Blad Eagles at Steel Creek:
Zebra Swallowtail 3/31/15
Immature Bald Eagles 3/31/15
Buffalo River
Archive for the ‘Moths and Butterfiles’ Category
Buffalo River and Little Buffalo River are pretty now
Posted in Moths and Butterfiles, Mountain Scenery, The River, Wild Birds, tagged Arkansas, Blad Eagles, Buffalo River, Buffalo River below Ponca, Immature bald eagles, parthenon, zebra swallowtail, Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly on March 31, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Monarchs and Eastern Kingbirds
Posted in Moths and Butterfiles, Weather, Wild Birds, tagged 2014, Arkansas, Boston Mountains, eastern kingbird, Eastern Kingbirds, migration, monarch, monarchs, October 15, parthenon, update on October 15, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Running up to Jasper this morning, I saw literally hundreds of Monarchs flying along side the road. When I got back home I counted about 5-7 Monarchs per minute flying over my home for 5 minutes (that is 25+). Seems to be a great comeback this year. Unfortunately, they are fighting a headwind 10-20 MPH but are all flying SW but it is so good to see them after last year’s BUST. Then, on my way back I saw and photographed what has to be the last Eastern Kingbirds stopping over, in migration:
Monarchs by the hundreds
Posted in Moths and Butterfiles, Unusual Insects, tagged 9/29/2014, monarchs, nw arkansas on September 30, 2014| Leave a Comment »
After a disastrous 2013, where I spotted maybe 3-4 Monarchs, 2014 is looking up, During the past week, I have seen about 50-75 each morning cruising Southwestward towards Mexico. Yesterday morning I saw over 100; simply cruising in that same direction. Today there are 7 on one butterfly bush (non-native) on a stop over. With several more days of nice weather forecast here; these appears to be a GOOD year for them. I’ll never forget 2012, when I had about 1,000 on a snakeroot patch behind my home. I took a short video of one that was on the bush with 6 others at 4:05 PM this afternoon taken with a handheld Canon G15:
A fews more Butterflies today 9/24/14
Posted in Moths and Butterfiles, tagged Bosotn Mountains, butterflies, butterfly, canon 7d, Giant Swallowtails, Little Buffalo River, parthenon, red-spotted Purple, September 2014, snakeroot, Thistles, Tiger Swallowtails on September 24, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Just a small group of photos taken from 20-25 feet with a Canon 7D with a Canon EF300L IS f/2.8 with a 1.4C canon TC. A red-spotted Purple, Tiger Swallowtails, Spangles Fritillaries, Giant Swallowtails on the Little Buffalo gravel bars, Pipe-vine Swallowtails, and saw 6 Monarchs and about a dozen Cloudless Sulfurs today too.
After chores today — sat on the porch for 2 hours with a telephone lens and captured the following
Posted in mammals, Moths and Butterfiles, Wild Birds, tagged 9/21/14, afternoon, boston mountain Wildlfe, parthenon on September 21, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Spangled Fritillary on late blooming monarda and Pipeline swallowtail’s iridescence
Posted in Moths and Butterfiles, tagged Arkansas, Boston Mountains, parthenon, Spangled Fritillary on September 21, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Taken yesterday on a late monarda (Bee Balm) and a late thistle; yesterday was sunny and warm:
A Common Buckeye taken with a Telephoto lens at 15 feet
Posted in Moths and Butterfiles, tagged Arkansas, Boston Mountains, common buckeye, telephoto on September 19, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Lots of butterflies in my yard last Monday
Posted in Moths and Butterfiles, tagged Arkansas, backyard, butterflies, butterfly, fall wildflowers, parthenon on September 17, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Saw a rare insect in NW Arkansas yesterday
Posted in Moths and Butterfiles, mountains, tagged Arkansas, Arkansas General Assembly, Boston Mountains, butterfly, Diana Fritillary, Diana Fritillary Butterfly, endangered, male, parthenon on September 15, 2014| Leave a Comment »
I have only seen these a few times in my 67 years. Mostly, during my childhood in east-central Missouri. I would see maybe 1 each week. Then later in my 20’s I would see a few by the Huzzah Creek in south-central Missouri. That I can remember, that is the last time I saw one. Until Yesterday !
It is the Diana Fritillary Butterfly. Since then they have retreated to only two know locations: the Southern Appalachians in North Carolina and parts of South-Carolina AND in the mountains of Arkansas and Oklahoma; primarily the Ouachita’s.
The Diana Fritillary (Speyeria diana) is a butterfly found in several wooded areas in southern and eastern North America (primarily in the Arkansas River valley, several counties in South Carolina, and spots along the Appalachian mountain range). The species exhibits marked sexual dimorphism, with males of the species exhibiting an orange color on the edges of their wings, with a burnt orange underwing. Females are dark blue, with dark, almost dusty underwings, and are also larger than males.
The larvae feed on violet leaves. Dianas are unusual in that they do not lay their eggs directly on the host plant, instead scattering the eggs around the base of the plant. Upon hatching, larvae burrow into the ground over winter to emerge in spring. Adults feed on flower nectar and dung.
On February 28, 2007, Act 156 of the Arkansas General Assembly designated the Diana fritillary as the official state butterfly. Introduced by Representative John Paul Wells of Logan County, the legislation for making the butterfly a state symbol took note of the butterfly’s beauty, educational importance, and impact on tourism. Arkansas is the only state to designate the Diana fritillary as its state butterfly; pairing it with its state insect, the honeybee. Arkansas is the twenty-sixth state to designate a butterfly as a state symbol.
So 40 years later ……….
The photo I took yesterday is of a pretty beat up Male Diana Fritillary; near the Diana’s Host woodland violets. Taken with a Canon 70D with a Canon EF300L IS f/2.8 from 10 feet:
So happy to see a good number of Monarchs this week
Posted in Moths and Butterfiles, Shrubs and Trees, tagged Arkansas, Boston Mountains, Butterfly Bush, monarch, monarch butterfly, parthenon, snakeweed on August 16, 2014| Leave a Comment »
After last years bust (think I only saw one Monarch all summer and fall), this week has been a blessing. I saw 5 on Tuesday, 7 on Wednesday, 7 on Thursday, 5 on Friday and 3 already today, Saturday). Of course Im not constantly looking and am gone much of the day. They are using Butterfly bushes and Snakeweed for nectar this mid summer. Im hoping the crises is mending itself; photos taken Thursday with a Canon 1DS and a Canon EF300L f/2.8 IS:
Life and Wildlife along the Little Buffalo River 