Kamama Prairie | Winged Beauty Butterflies

Edwards Hairstreak on Butterflyweed photographed by Jeff Zablow at Lynx Prairie, Ohio

Funny that. You are encouraged, for months, by new friends in Ohio . . . that there will surely be butterflies in those Ohio prairies that are new for you, lifers as some call them. The arrangements are made, cabins reserved, days calendared, and that June 2017 day arrives.

The drive to Dayton, Ohio and not a single wrong turn, not that fancy computerized stuff, but printed directions from Google Directions. Cedar bog and more, Showy orchids don’t disappoint, and then the drive down to south-central Ohio, Adams County. Angela has been touting Adams as a nature bazaar, and I’m the whole time trying not to be too excited. How can Adams County, Ohio be as good as she suggests it will be.

Easy! With beautiful June days, Adams County totally delivered. Lynx Prairie and Kamama Prairie, both wildlife reserves, were stunning! Just stunning!

It’s a Hit! when you see a butterfly all new to you, and then you see more and more of them, as here, Jeff buzzed! with Butterflyweed ( an Asclepias milkweed ) covered with a fresh flight of Edwards Hairstreaks. Sweet colors that douse your eyes with beauty! These hairstreaks worked the flowerhead methodically, and courteously allowed my approach, and presence. Angela delivers, for sure.

Jeff

Northern Metalmark Butterfly on Oxe-eye Daisy photographed by Jeff Zablow at Lynx Prairie, OH

That day again in June 2017, when after lingering a bit too long at something that caught my eye, I found myself Totally Separated from the small group I was part of. Descending into a mood I am not now proud of, I called for a quorum of experts, and me, myself and I fulfilled that call. We (all the I’s) concluded that I was ditched by the group, and an unfortunately ‘bad’ word or two was uttered. That silly business over with, I decided, What the Heck! I’m always alone on trails, naturally, so go ahead into Kamama Prairie Preserve (privately held land) and make the best of it.

Make the best of it?? It turned from silly drama (mine alone) to Holy Cow! I took the trail around the perimeter of this goodly sized prairie, and spotted a Northern metalmark butterfly. The day before, nearby, in Lynx Prairie, I had seen my first ever Northern. This new day, a second, now a third . . . until I had seen way more than 40, and stopped counting. A sizable flight of these tiny artworks, some nectaring, others resting upon broad leaves, some in the verge near the forest edge, others in the open prairie.

This Northern is at rest upon a prairie daisy. They are so tiny, and prefer being close to the ground, that my Macro- lens work demands that I stoop way down to the ground. Avoiding camera sway was constant, but this time, my New ISM lens was there to enable some fair images to be captured.

I sure did get some share of those nifty ‘metallic’ lines that parallel one another, along the outer margins of forewings and hindwing.

Later I found the group, kept telling myself (internally) to not mention the regrettable thoughts I had earlier, and so restrained, learned that they did . . . not see more than a couple of this winged beauties. Jeff, still growing up.

Adams County, southernmost Ohio.

Jeff