My Best Butterfly Photos - Part IX

Here are more of my favorite butterfly photos:

Owl Butterfly

Pearly Marble

Pipevine Swallowtail

Pipevine Swallowtail

Postman Heliconian

Postman Heliconian

Postman

Queen Butterfly

Queen Owl Butterfly

Red Banded Pereute

Boyce Thompson Arboretum

Christine and I headed up to Flagstaff over the past weekend to see our grandson in the musical "Chicago." On the way we stopped at Boyce Thompson Arboretum. We hadn't been since 2011 and so had forgotten just how amazing and beautiful it is.

While I had my camera, I spent more time just contemplating its beauty rather than looking for birds to photograph.

I did come away with some photos, but they don't do justice to this wonderful place.

Turkey Vulture

Wilson's Warbler

Great Blue Heron and Turkey Vulture

Lesser Goldfinch

Harris Antelope Ground Squirrel

Canyon Lizard

Pipevine Swallowtail

Queen Butterfly

Cactus Flower

Huachuca Canyon - Part II

Here are some of the Butterfly photos:

Dull Firetip

Orange Sulphur

Pipevine Swallowtail

Pipevine Swallowtail

Two-Tailed Swallowtail

Las Cienegas National Conservation Area - Part V

Other photos from Empire Gulch:

Anna's Hummingbird on Nest

Anna's Hummingbird putting feathers inside her nest

I love this photo which shows the gulch -- along with a Blue Grosbeak

House Wren

Lucy's Warbler

Pipevine Swallowtail

Sacred Datura

Male and Female Summer Tanagers

Pena Blanca Lake Wildlife: Butterflies

Although there were lots of butterflies at the lake last week, I found myself concentrating mostly on birds. Yet, this Pipevine Swallowtail on a Ivyleaf Morningglory was one I couldn't resist:

Catching Up: Butterflies, Grasshoppers, and Spiders

Some health issues have kept me from getting out much the past three months. So, the series on "Birds on a Wire," was a way to stay in touch.

Now that the "Birds on a Wire" series is finished  I'll catch up on a few short trips I've taken over those three months. First up, Some Insects:

Giant Swallowtail

Differential Grasshopper

Banded Argiope

Queen Butterfly

Red Spinner Dragonfly

Pipevine Swallowtail: Female

Green Valley Grasshopper

Empire Gulch at Las Cienegas, Arizona

On another short trip this week I wanted to see what was happening at Empire Gulch. This truly is a wonderful birding spot. Always water and always birds. Here are some of my favorites from the couple hours I spent both in the gulch and around Las Cienegas:

Pipevine Swallowtail

Periwinkle

Ruby Crowned Kinglet (showing off his ruby crown)

Yellow Warbler

Western Meadowlark

Pronghorn

Huachuca Canyon: Always Good Birding

I went again to Huachuca Canyon looking for the Sinaloa Wren and now the newly reported (one time) Prothonotary Warbler. And, again no luck. However, as is usually the case I didn't come home without some photos, including a couple very nice photos like the ubiquitous Wilson's Warbler and Painted Redstart. Even though often seen I thought those two in particular turned out well:

Wilson's Warbler

Painted Redstart

Black Throated Gray Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Gilded Flicker

California Sister

unidentified butterfly

Pipevine Swallowtail