With the upcoming NABA Butterfly
Count, I’ve been out practicing- or trying to practice- finding, observing, and
identifying our local butterflies. Initially, I was very gung-ho about it: I
want to see everything, not miss an ID, pick out the unique or interesting
butterflies, and generally have a rewarding time.
I didn’t succeed. As it turns out,
I’m not very good at IDing butterflies. They’re small, fly fast, hide in the
bushes, and can have very cryptic or subtle colorations. I mean how hard
can it be to identify a Monarch? It’s big, iconic, easy to see! It seems to me
that the Monarch is the butterfly equivalent of a Bald Eagle. They’re
everywhere- on billboards, tv, symbols in businesses and of the US. But in real
life when you’re out looking for a Bald Eagle, they can be pretty difficult to
find. You’ll find Cardinals and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, and Grackles much
more easily. And don’t forget the
I-got-a-quick-glimpse-and-thought-it-was-a-Bald-Eagle but it was really a
Crested Caracara. Monarch’s have those too: Queens, Viceroys, and Soldiers.
Heck, a quick glimpse of a Gulf Fritillary can send you to the wrong ID!
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| It's... uh... ok. It's not the thing I thought it was. |
