Sunny Day | Winged Beauty Butterflies

Wildflowers (Unidentified) photographed by Jeff Zablow at Akeley Swamp, NY

Akeley Swamp was a feast for the eyes and the other senses. It was late June 2018. This very western New York State Swamp sported several hundred thousand Common Milkweed blooms that sunny, windless day. Here and there we were treated to fresh Canada Lilies. At the tiny bridge over the trail, we could see the same Cardinal flower plants we’d seen before, they some 2 days or so away from spilling their lipstick-red blooms.

It was a flawless day, expect . . . for a dearth of butterflies. Happily, I did see my first ever Hickory Hairstreak butterfly. The air lanes were free of butterflies though. We discussed this odd lack of butterflies, but we had no explanation for it.

With fewer butterflies, I had more time to see it all. I saw these wildflowers, they growing on the edge of the Swamp. Real-time, this is exactly their color. I liked their look, guessing . . . Mallow?

Please be so kind as to help me ID them? They did charm me, but their name?

Jeff

This was that sweet trail, Qedesh trail, in the Upper, Upper Galilee, Israel. Sweet? The month was March, the year, 2015. Winter rains were ferocious, and that meant . . . Spring blooms by the trillions. Surrounded by a sea of soft color, butterflies were everywhere, all on the move. That made it easier to stick to my determination to only photograph fresh, complete butterflies. Give a bird-struck (lizard, snake, beetle, mantid, etc.) butterfly a look, yes, but hold back, don’t shoot, because experience has shown that y’all are not anxious to see imperfect butterflies. Reality, No?

This blue may be one of several tiny blues that fly there, then. I like it, and I liked the blossoms on its perch. I liked the trail, I like that sunny day with its moderate temperature, and you know I took more than one opportunity to stop, and Thank G-d for enabling me.

All that was missing that day, on that trail, was y.o.u.

Jeff . . . in a soft mood