We were in search of butterflies to photograph....but there weren't many around.
Ladybugs were thick on the aphid covered thistles.
Besides daisies, there were a number of other flowers blooming in the meadows.
Powell Butte is always a reliable place to see Lazuli Bunting.
This was the most common butterfly we saw. And this was the best photo we got (bad!). They constantly flitted low in the grass and were hard to pin-point. I think they are Ochre Ringlets.
We saw a number of Northern Flickers, sometimes three together.
Finally, remember those caterpillars in my last post? Those are Cinnabar moth caterpillars and they turn into this! Striking aren't they? I was searching all my butterfly books to identify this beauty and discovered it's not a butterfly! The caterpillars eat tansy ragwort, a poisonous weed, and were introduced in North America to control it.
I have backyard bird photos piling up, so next time I'll post a bunch of those.
Powell Butte is a neat place. We called it Wilson Hill when I was a kid. I would sometimes hike up there with my brothers. I remember how excited I was the time I saw a red fox. I still like to hike there, but haven't seen any foxes in recent years.
ReplyDeleteI like knowing what the caterpillars turn into. Gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThose are lovely--feels like quite a tranquil scene.
ReplyDelete