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Tag: butterfly

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)

Butterflies are a common sight on my outdoor walks lately. On a recent visit to Falmouth’s Crane Wildlife Management Area I saw numerous species, including Monarchs, Common Buckeyes, Common Ringlets, American Ladies and Painted Ladies. Although most of them did not rest long enough for me to capture a photo, I was able to get a few shots of this Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui).  Painted Ladies are colorful, medium-sized butterflies, stretching approximately 2.5 inches from one wing tip to the…

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Baltimore checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton)

Baltimore checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton)

It was a very butterfly-filled weekend for me. I attended the Thornton Burgess Nature Club’s monthly adult natural history program on Saturday. This month’s topic was “Butterflies” with an up close and personal look at a variety of species within the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History’s Butterfly House. Within the Butterfly House, I was able to closely observe monarchs (Danaus plexippus), red admirals (Vanessa atalanta), and question marks (Polygonia interrogationis).  A newly emerged monarch butterfly. A question mark butterfly. …

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Wild Indigo (Baptisia tinctoria)

Wild Indigo (Baptisia tinctoria)

Wild indigo (Baptisia tinctoria) is a low shrub-like herbaceous perennial, which grows 2 to 3 feet high and has small (approximately a half inch long) yellow pea-like flowers. The gray-green leaves are somewhat clover-like and trifoliate (divided into three leaflets). Perhaps the most widespread Baptisia species in the eastern United States, it occurs in sandy dry areas, open woods and fields from New England to Florida and west to Minnesota. The flowers bloom July through September and are just now…

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White Admiral (Limenitis arthemis)

White Admiral (Limenitis arthemis)

While hiking in New Hampshire’s White Mountains this weekend, I explored half a dozen waterfalls. These ranged from the 10 foot high Lower Falls of the Swift River along the Kancamagus Highway to larger falls, such as  Winneweta Falls (40 feet) and Arethusa Falls (176 ft – the highest single drop waterfall in New Hampshire). At each location, in addition to the beauty of the falls themselves, I was surprised and delighted by the number of butterflies flitting about. The…

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