Shocking Black Beauty

Posted February 29, 2020

Earring Series - Blackswallowtail butterflies coupled, photographed by Jeff Zablow at "Butterflies and Blooms in the Briar Patch," Eatonton, GA Counting the number of eye-pleasing views in this Eastern Black Swallowtail butterfly image, much pleases me. Early morning in the Butterflies & Blooms Briar Patch Habitat I in Eatonton, Georgia and I was happily shocked to discover this coupled pair amidst a perennial bed.

She was above here, and she had those 2 sought after looks: fresh and magnificent.

They soon after fled, ending up as seen in the ‘Earring’ series that we feature here in wingedbeaty.com. ‘Earring’ series remains my most favorite series of butterfly photographs. I think this is a better image of the pair, with the female’s dorsal side in view.

Shockingly pretty, this, no?

Jeff

Upon First Seeing A Malachite

Posted February 26, 2020

Filed under Malachite, National Butterfly Center, Mission, TX

Malachite butterfly photographed by Jeff Zablow at the National Butterfly Center, Mission, TX

It was Christmas week, when my friends pointed out my first and only encounter with this Malachite butterfly.

It was so so fresh, its colors vivid and it was calm, remaining where it was for Oh! nearly 25 minutes. Me? I considered whether or not G-d sent this Gem there, for reward for I am not sure what?

I shot away, from different angles, there in that darkened understory of The National Butterfly Center trail, we in Mission, Texas near the border wall with Mexico.

I ask that you compose a short Ode to Malachite.

Would you do that for us?

Jeff

An Early Chinese Import

Posted February 25, 2020

Filed under Raccoon Creek State Park, PA

I’d seen these in my empty lots, around East 58th Street in my childhood Brooklyn. Praying Mantis egg cases, I’d learned they were. Good for that, with their fierce, fascinating Praying Mantises developing within them, preparing to exit and perform their predation, as they’d done for thousands of years.

Fast forward, and now well grown Jeff learned that this egg case is NOT formed by them. Instead it is an alien egg case, hardened foam formed by a Chinese Mantid. It’s from China. It’s ancestors did not live here three hundred years ago! Now the Chinese Mantids that emerge from this egg case surely ate the native Painted Ladies, Pearly Crescents, Gray Hairstreaks and Great Spangle Fritillary butterflies in that Raccoon Creek State Park (Southwestern Pennsylvania).

I have come to discredit alien species, especially after living next door to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s 900 acre plus Frick Park. There, as Petra and I walked, I registered that some 70% of the plants I was passing were . . . Aliens! Natives should have been there, filling 100% of the parkland.

All this with the news of the Coronavirus just about everywhere I look. I hesitate to buy products ‘Made in China.’ I just as much disdain Chinese animals, plants and products of all types.

Jeff

Monarchs That Bring Joy!

Posted February 24, 2020

Filed under Eatonton, GA, Monarch

Monarch Butterfly, photographed by Jeff Zablow at Raccoon Creek State Park in Pennsylvania

We’re near the end of February here in middle Georgia, U.S.A.. Some days hit 60 degrees Fahrenheit, others struggle to reach 49 degrees. I’ve not seen a Monarch butterfly since very early November 2019.

Working through our wingedbeauty.com Media Library and I stopped here, at this enchanting image of a female Monarch, in our 303 Garden (our own yard). She has stopped to deposit eggs on our Milkweed (Asclepias spp).

Just another image for me? No. No. No. What you’re seeing made me smile, instantly. Joy to my heart, seeing Monarchs, as I did back in Brooklyn, New York, back then. She striving to insure that the next generation of Monarchs ecloses, whether it be then in East Flatbush section of Brooklyn or now, in beautiful Eatonton, Georgia.

Joy! is always good medicine. Monarchs bring Joy!

Jeff

The Only What? Butterfly

Posted February 20, 2020

Filed under Harvester, Raccoon Creek State Park, PA

I’ve seen them several times, those only on that Nichol Road Trail in Raccoon Creek State Park, Southwestern Pennsylvania. I remember those electrifying moments.

When I occasionally see someone elses Harvester Butterfly image, it awakens those way too few memories.

Meeting a Harvester butterfly, characterized by Glassberg’s A Swift Guide to the Butterflies of North America as LR-LU ( Locally Rare to Locally Uncommon ) does do that to me.

‘The Only What? Butterfly’ in North America because no other North American butterfly caterpillars are carniverous. Their consume aphids.

This image? I have always been in love with their plays of brown color and, I wanted to cop an image that I would be pleased with, before this winged beauty fled.

Jeff