Henry David Thoreau, the naturalist's naturalist to whom everyone in this business owes a debt of gratitude, would have marked his 200th birthday today, and in celebration, I stuck close to home, just like Thoreau did all his life, opting to master his own neighborhood around Concord rather than venturing into exotic locales. And perhaps because of my own tendency to look deep and local, I noticed a butterfly that seemed out of place. Many hours of observation on the ridge have familiarized me with the typical species around here, so something new tends to jump out at me. This lepidopteran was one of them, and after I'd photographed it from every possible angle, except for the most obvious one—it never did open its wings for me—I went to the books, Jeffrey Glassberg's new Swift Guide to the Butterflies of North America in particular, and started a search. In short order I had an identification, a Northern Pearly Eye, and a lot of questions, since this butterfly is actually quite rare around here. I can't find any indication that Thoreau mentioned this one, which is more common to our north, but it seems to be increasing in abundance, so sharp-eyed Henry would, no doubt, spot it these days.

Note: the Thoreau portrait, which is in the public domain, is a daguerreotype shot by Worcester-based photographer Benjamin D. Maxham in 1856.