Yellow Schmellow

Ever tried to shoot a macro of a Monarch on a windy day? It looks a lot like this. Especially if you are using one hand to hold down the stem it's hanging onto so your camera can see the dang bug full on.

I wasn't out on Pinto Farm long before I started hating all the crazy yellow flowers that I've always been rather in love with. I started hating yellow in general. Then I started hating butterflies, swallowtails in particular for some reason. I didn't last long at all today.

Today was my third day out shooting them and it was just one day too many. I was worn out and when I get tired I get really cranky. It was cloudy today, which I generally love, but these Monarchs seem to like only shady spots. I was having a hard enough time as it was shooting them under the trees. But shooting in the shade on a cloudy day is a lot like shooting indoors. What a pain! Well, it is with my camera.

I was already grumpy enough but all I really wanted today was one good shot of a Monarch with his wings open. Is that so much to ask? I must get a tele-converter lens or figure out how to sneak up on a Monarch. I ignored the Monarchs clumped in the trees today, how many pix of Monarch clumps does one person a really need?

The whole lot of them can be seen HERE. Don't bother though, it's just more yellow flowers, more Pipevines, and more ornery Monarchs who don't want to come out into the light or spread their wings while I'm within decent shooting distance.

Part III -- The many butterflies on Pinto Creek near Brackettville

I'm too tired to type in all the names of the individual butterflies you see here, but you can look down my sidebar to see what they are--I've identified nearly every butterfly I've shot in my sidebar.

Below: The Zebra made an appearance again! This is all it would let me catch though. I found him in exactly the same spot on the farm that I found yesterday's Zebra on, which is a spot of flowers in shade very close to the water. Makes me wonder if the Zerbra doesn't like water more than most butterflies. Most of the other butterflies preferred other spots along the creek.

Above: It's driving me nuts trying to figure out what this butterfly's wings look like. It reminds me of some kind of candy (I can't remember what it could have been though), maybe something I used to get when I was a kid in Eagle Pass. But that was the early 70's so maybe the pattern and color just reminds of me the style that was popular then?

Above and Below: I don't have a single good shot of a Monarch with it's wings open (yet). The one above was a long shot I took of several clumping butterflies and this one was flying in to join them. It was very dark and the resolution is poor, I had to do a lot of editing to brighten it up. Imagine what I could have done with a tele-converter! Oh how I wish! Below, the sheer weight of them pulls the flowers and grasses they land on right down, makes it hard to shoot them full on with their wings open.

All of the 10-11-08 Monarch Migration and Pinto Farm Pix can be seen HERE.

Part II -- Brackettville Monarch Mosh

I had too many photos of clumping Monarchs and couldn't decide how to only show you one or two. It's so interesting the way they clump!

Below: I uploaded this Monarch clump photo in full size so, if you click it, the image will be HUGE but I wanted you to appreciate just how many Monarchs were in this tree. You can't see them all when the image is smaller. When I shot it I had no idea just how many Monarchs were up there. I was shocked when I was editing the photos tonight.

Below: They LOVED these dead leaves. They know, quite instinctively, just how well those dead leaves camouflage them. I'm not sure I'd have noticed them there if they weren't so skittish. These butterflies could see me coming from quite a distance. I hope I have a tele-converter lens by the next migration because I could be getting the most amazing Monarch shots if I had one!

All of the 10-11-08 Monarch Migration and Pinto Farm Pix can be seen HERE.

OTM's sighted in Brackettville

Here are some of the Other Than Monarchs I shot today. There's more of these and the Monarchs HERE.


Click to enlarge images.

Above and below, it's not a wasp, it's a moth! It's the Horantha Panthalon Texana aka Texas Wasp Moth.

Above and below, the Chlosyne Theona aka Theona Checkerspot.

Above and below: I've blogged about the Danaus Gillipus aka Queen Butterfly before. A few weeks ago I was convinced it was the Monarch--I got schooled on that!

Above: The Ailanthus Webworm Moth aka Atteva Punctella

Above: I saw a new flutterby today called Anthanassa [Phyciodes] Texana aka the Texan Crescent

Below: I wasn't going to blog this unremarkable moon shot but then I discovered that a few other photogs I know were out photographing this moon at the same time I was. So, being more of a follower than a leader, I decided I simply HAD to add my 10-8-08 moon shot!

Here they are! Brackettville's first Monarchs of October!

Well, at least the first ones I've seen so far here in Tejas this year.

I'm still having fun with LunaPic so you have to put up with a Monarch Animation in this entry.

I was out on the farm to shoot the Monarchs today, the water looked so beautiful this morning.





The Monarchs, below, were clumped in the trees. I've heard tales about how they can turn the entire crown of a tree orange by the way they clump on it. I've yet to see that.

All of the Queens and Fritillaries were happily skipping from one flower to the next. But precious few Monarchs had any interest in that. They seemed to just want to clump in the pecan trees and in the Mountain Laurel trees. It might have been the gusty wind that dissuaded them from flower hopping.









I shot a few other butterflies and bugs while I was out today, they're in the next two entries. All the butterfly pix from today have been uploaded HERE.

At long last, the Monarchs have arrived in Kinney County. For realz this time!

You may remember me whining about how the Zebra kept eluding me--whipping into view and then zipping off again before I could get my camera up. Not today!! Muah ha ha ha! Without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to Heliconius Charitonius aka The Zebra Longwing Butterfly. It may be quite common, but it's rare to me.

And lookie lookie! Monarchs!!!!!!!! Many more to come, I just couldn't wait to get a couple up to show ya!

All the Monarch, butterfly, bug, and farm pix I took today are HERE.

Battus Philenor and the Texas Horned Lizard in Bracketttville

The Battus Philenor is commonly known as the Pipvine Swallowtail. I know I didn't need to publish quite so many photos of this swallowtail, but you have no idea how excited I was to see a metallic sheened butterfly! I've never seen one that was alive before.

That yellow and black zebra butterfly thing teased me again today, such a cruel little butterfly not staying put long enough for me to get my camera up!

Below: Yet another example that Spring is in the air, despite the fact that it's Fall.

Below: While we were out at the farm today, my Aunt Sherry spotted this Texas Horned Lizard. I think I took about a dozen snaps of it but I never could get enough light on the lower part of his face. Should have used the flash I guess. Despite appearances, I was holding him quite gently. And we released him annoyed but unharmed.