Tag: Tiger Swallowtail

Sweet Rewards

Color Photography, wildlife
Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Butterfly & Thistle 90120” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

The high ridge top breaks into open fields as I travel a back road that I’ve not set etes upon in decades. The winding single lane road hasn’t changed much since I was less than ten years old and riding in a early 1970s Jeep Comanche pickup truck. Sometimes my grandfather took the long way to get to where we were going just to spend time together. We could have gotten there in ten minutes but instead we spent at least an hour on the back road.

The mountain tops of West Virginia has some of the most beautiful farmlands! As my big blue truck topped a blind hill I was thrilled to the Thistle growing on the edge of the road. I’ve always associated Thistle with the edges of pastures and barbed wire fences held up by posts cut from Black Locust. I drove on for a few more minutes until I found a place where I could turn the long wheelbase of the big blue truck around. I would find the Thistle being visited by a beautiful Tiger Swallowtail. It struck me that one of the most delicate creatures in nature was feeding on one of the most hostile flowers. All it would take would be a single wrong move and the thorns would shred the beautiful wings. But I suppose that in this life one has to be able to take risks in order to win a sweet reward.

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Did you know that I also do portraits by appointment? If you’re interested in a portrait session either message me on Facebook or Use the Contact form. The YouTube link below takes you one of my slideshows.

https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

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Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251

Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer

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Today’s Quiet Moment On Peter’s Creek

Color Photography, wildlife
Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Tiger Swallowtail 6220” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

The gentle guitar softly emanates from the speakers in the Big Blue Truck. The birds seem to respond in chorus to the melody. Small insects float through the sunbeams that filter through the canopy and effect gives them the appearance of living sparks of light. Small flickers of movement in the underbrush tells me that the chipmunk is foraging in the leaves for the little red mock strawberries that dominate the forest edge right now. The bright yellow wings seem to float in on one of sunbeams and land in the sweetbriar looking for a remanent bloom. The butterfly diligently surveyed each branch before a flutter of wings lifts it into the air again. The lull in the bloom means that it will need to work a little harder to feed itself for now but soon the hydrangea will be plentiful and life will be easy again. The beauty of natural cycles means that the difficult times are temporary.

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

Hello Friends and thank you for your support of my page. If you have enjoyed the photos or the writings please let me know by commenting and sharing my work on your social media. I also want to invite you to Follow Lloyds Lens Photography on Facebook

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

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If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Click here to visithttps://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Did you know that I also do portraits by appointment? If you’re interested in a portrait session either message me on Facebook or Use the Contact form. The YouTube link below takes you one of my slideshows.

https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simplymessage me on Facebookoruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251

Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer.

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤

Where All May Gather

Color Photography, wildlife
Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “All The Colors Together 52620a” and is available for purchase by the instructions at the bottom of the article.

The moist earth is warmed by the sun and fermenting grass leeches more sugars into the salty mud. This is heavenly for the male butterflies who need the mix to satiate their ladies. I have seen crescent butterflies, skippers and almost every type of Swallowtail in my region all gathering at this little ten inch mud puddle in my yard. I never even occurred to me that breeding male butterflies are actually quite territorial and even violent when it comes to maintaining their grounds. And yet here they all are concentrated in this little spot without so much as a wing bump to discourage the others. The concept of the commons is as ancient as society itself. A no man’s land where everyone has the same right to gather the necessary resources for living. And even then each retains his own territory with right of safe passage to the commons. Perhaps one day we’ll learn to see God’s patterns in problem solving and mimic his hand in our own designs.

Hey Friends! Just a quick reminder that Lloyds Lens Photography is available for portraits!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

To book me simply reach out using the Contact Page and we’ll set a date. If you’re within a 50 mile radius of Summersville West Virginia all travel fees are waived.

Hello Friends and thank you for your support of my page. If you have enjoyed the photos or the writings please let me know by commenting and sharing my work on your social media. I also want to invite you to Follow Lloyds Lens Photography on Facebook

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

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If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Click here to visithttps://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Did you know that I also do portraits by appointment? If you’re interested in a portrait session either message me on Facebook or Use the Contact form. The YouTube link below takes you one of my slideshows.

https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simplymessage me on Facebookoruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251

Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer.

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤

On The Sunny Side Of The Mountain

Color Photography
Hello friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “On The Sunny Side Of The Mountain” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the article.

A warm breeze cascading down Panther Mountain brings the sweet scent of Appalachian wildflowers as I rolled down the window of the big blue truck. I’m on a little bit of a scouting mission but I’m taking time to visually explore everything on the edge of the road. The road over Panther Mountain is a public road but there’s places where it’s a road in name only.

The road over Panther Mountain as seen through the dirty windshield of the big blue truck.

Most people use ATVs to travel this road and I only take my truck part of the way up. I have never been the entire length of the road.

As I watch the left edge of the road the Tiger Swallowtail in tonight’s feature image was the first thing that caught my eye. It paid no more attention to the truck than it would a large rock in the middle of the road. It’s whole world was just sunshine and nectar. I paused for several minutes and watched it feed. Then I noticed another and another and then a fourth one. The road was lined with butterflies. None of them seemed care about the giant idling his way up the mountain. They only seemed to care about what was actually in their control.

I have come to understand that the secret to peace of mind is not expending mental and emotional energy on things that are beyond our control. I’m not really suggesting that we should be unprepared but that we don’t dwell on the negative. If we have the things that are actually in our control in order then if the unforseen happens we’ll be in better shape to deal with it.

I raised the lens and snapped a picture to help remind me of the lesson the Tiger Swallowtail had for me and continued to ease on the gravel road towards my goal.

Hello Friends and thank you for your support of my page. If you have enjoyed the photos or the writings please let me know by commenting and sharing my work on your social media. I also want to invite you to Follow Lloyds Lens Photography on Facebook

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If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Click here to visithttps://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Did you know that I also do portraits by appointment? If you’re interested in a portrait session either message me on Facebook or Use the Contact form. The YouTube link below takes you one of my slideshows.

https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simply message me on Facebook oruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251

Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤

Tiger Swallowtail

Color Photography, wildlife
Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled “Tiger Swallowtail 6319” and is available for purchase by following the instructions at the bottom of the article.

As I continue to watch the swarm of butterflies on the weeds near my day job I’m reminded of the iconic animation of flowers turning into butterflies and filling the air. There was so many colors swirling around that it was a little surreal. The entomology class that I took focused on pest control and we tended to lump all of the Swallowtail Butterflies into one group. And it actually wasn’t until I started researching for this series that I learned of all the subspecies. This one is the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.

Tonight’s feature image is a male. The males are always yellow and do not have blue spots on the hind wings.

The female Tiger Swallowtail seems to have a diverse wardrobe. That ranges from light yellow to dark black.

A female Tiger Swallowtail ( dark morph).

The female always has blue dots on the lower hind wings and is easy to confuse with the Spicebush Swallowtail. ( The Spicebush Swallowtail will be in an upcoming post)

A notable behavior of the Tiger Swallowtail is puddling. They tend to gather together on the edges of water for a drink. It’s not uncommon for butterflies to get water and minerals this way but it’s only the Tiger Swallowtail that I’ve seen doing this as a group. When I was a teenager I remember one trip to the lake when one of my friends managed to capture several of the Tiger Swallowtails at once. He grinned and slipped beneath the surface taking the butterflies with him. At the time I thought that the butterflies would be harmed but now I know that insects are basically balloons. Their complex respiratory system actually gives them the ability to hold their breath for several minutes. When he released them under water he managed to keep them in a bubble and the sight of the butterflies emerging from the water was pretty spectacular.

With the knowledge of puddling I think that it might be possible to entice the Swallowtail Butterflies to come closer by mixing a salty/sweet solution and soaking a sponge for them to gather on.

I don’t have a picture of the catipiller but it’s kinda special too. The Swallowtail catipiller has a butt that mimics the head of a snake complete with large cartoon eyes!

As we head into summer some of more colorful blooms will the choice food for butterflies of all kinds and I hope to bring you some spectacular images. Have a blessed day everyone!

Hello Friends and thank you for your support of my page. If you have enjoyed the photos or the writings please let me know by commenting and sharing my work on your social media. I also want to invite you to Follow Lloyds Lens Photography on Facebook

If you would like to Follow me on Facebook the web address is

https://www.facebook.com/aviewfromthelens/

If you’re enjoying my blog and don’t want to miss a post then you can sign up for email alerts on my website.

https://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Click here to visithttps://lloydslensphotographyllc.com/

Did you know that I also do portraits by appointment? If you’re interested in a portrait session either message me on Facebook or Use the Contact form. The YouTube link below takes you one of my slideshows.

https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

Have you checked out the Zazzle Store?

I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simply message me on Facebook oruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Clicking on the photo takes you tohttps://www.zazzle.com/lloydslensphotos?rf=238248269630914251

Lastly, all of the photos and writings are my original work unless otherwise specified and are not to be copied or reproduced without expressed written permission from the photographer.

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤