Great News! My images shot in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas are now safely set in my Media Library, and ready to be shared. Six days of introduction after introduction to new, and often rare butterflies.

The last week of 2017 and just miles from the Mexican border, this fine Queen butterfly was one of hundreds that I saw over those 6 days. Something like their closely related Monarch butterflies, Queens prove much more difficult to approach and photograph. They are very aware, skittish and frustrate the photographer. As you settle in for a good one of a fresh Queen, it will leave as you are preparing to set in on your knee for the Macro photo capture.

Most of the people that I saw those days seemed oblivious to the Queens. Me? I’d seen them before, but very rarely, and seeing platoons of them was yes, something to behold.

It was work, I tell you, constantly reminding yourself that these are Queens, not Monarchs.

This one on a mistflower in the gardens of the National Butterfly Center, Mission Texas, near the border wall. I flew to San Antonio and then took a four hour drive to McAllen and then had 6 days of beautiful butterflies. Rare ones came out to great me.

And yes, those Queens!

Jeff