Almost autumn blues

September 14, 2018  •  Leave a Comment

I wanted to check out an Osprey nest near the Pawcatuck River, but when I trekked up the power line right-of-way where the Fish Hawks had built their abode on the cross-bracing of one of the poles that held the high-tension lines aloft, the nursery was empty. This was not, however, a sign of a good walk spoiled; in fact, the real estate claimed by utilities is often a terrific natural history area, and in short order, I spotted the tiniest of butterflies investigating the sandy soil. This is usually a sign that the lepidopterans are looking for mineral supplements, but I had no idea of the identity of the supplementarian. A good picture, of course, would help out, and after lying on my belly and creeping closer and closer, I "captured" the diminutive insect and, once I got back home, I used the three field guides I had at my disposal, along with several reliable butterfly ID websites, and converged on a diagnosis. Based on the large orange spot on the hind wings, I'm opting for an Eastern-tailed Blue. Normally, this is a spring lep for me, but the little one apparently is working from a different calendar.


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