A Cabbage White in Mattituck

Monday, September 9, 2019,

This is a Cabbage White Butterfly. Go ahead, click on the photo for a better view. This one is worth it. It’s not often that one gets the chance to appreciate just how pretty these ubiquitous butterflies actually are. You can find these guys almost everywhere but I found this one in Mattituck. I had just left a Sunflower field and was heading home when I happened across  this tiny park after missing a turn. What a lucky miss. These lovely violet flowers bordering a small pond after all that yellow were a very welcome change. Please don’t misunderstand me, the sunflowers were terrific, but this little park was like a wonderful dessert that follows a sumptuous dinner. Sometimes, you just enjoy the dessert better.  

The flowers in these photos are called Purple Loosestrife. As beautiful as they are, they are considered an invasive. I sound pretty informed, don’t I? It’s all smoke and mirrors. In fact, I had thought that these might be Lavender. I was, of course, wrong, as is usually the case when it comes to anything plant related. Luckily, I am aware of my faults. Even luckier still, I have an ace in the hole, or rather, a friend in the garden. Whenever I think I might blog about a flower or a plant of any kind, I send my friend Sue Avery an email and she sets me straight. I can guarantee you that nearly every time I mention a plant of any kind, Sue has helped me with the identification. Sue has her own blog and I invite you to check it out. It’s called The Tangled Wood and it is beautifully written. Sue truly has a way with words. Her prose is as poetic as it is informative. I really think you’ll enjoy her style. I know I do. JK.

 

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Tuesday, October 2, 2018,

This is a male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly. I found this guy at Avalon Park and Preserve back at the end of last July. I had spent most of the morning photographing Monarchs when I spotted this beauty. This is a fairy large butterfly, bigger than Monarchs, and hard to miss.The female, which comes in two color morphs, is supposed to be even larger than the male.

I have two field guides for butterflies. One is the Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America and the other is the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies. Both guides say that the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is one of the most common butterflies in its range and yet, I rarely see them at all. It’s not like they’re hard to see. I saw an abundance of Monarchs this year but this was the only Tiger Swallowtail I saw all season. I feel lucky to have gotten these shots. Maybe I need to go back to wearing glasses. JK.

JK