Butterflies are not very abundant in my yard this year. I've tried to add flowering plants, both perennial and annual, but maybe next year will be better. Monday morning, while drinking my coffee, I noticed a butterfly out in the front yard. It isn't always easy to determine the name orange and black butterflies as the Monarch and the Viceroy look very similar. So, I grabbed the camera and went out to see if I could catch a shot to clear up the mystery.
After watching the butterfly flit around for a few minutes, it finally settled in for a rest on a maple tree leaf. I was only able to get photos of her with closed wings, but she's (males have a distinctive 'pouch on one of the veins in the wing) pretty from that angle as well.
Each of the photos below has a slightly different area of focus.
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| Can you see the eye? |
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| Here you can see the little 'toes' at the end of the leg, gripping the leaf edge. Also, notice the hairs on the leg. |
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| Pretty girl. |
I'm hopeful that I'll see a few more Monarchs around, I suppose this could be one of this summer's hatch. Since I don't have any milkweed near my house, I've not seen any chrysalis or caterpillars.
Maybe next year.
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