Common Checkered-Skipper on aster – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2000, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
I’m seeing far fewer butterflies than I was seeing just two weeks ago but the ones I am seeing now still delight me as they flutter around. Yesterday while hoping to photograph birds near home I spotted a small butterfly nectaring on some wild asters and attempted to photograph it, only one of the 20 or so images I took was sharp enough to present here on my blog and in my galleries because it kept fluttering its wings and there was wind blowing the asters around.
This is a Common Checkered-Skipper and can be found in most of the U.S., some southern parts of Canada and northern Mexico. I am not sure of the sex of the Common Checkered-Skipper or the species of aster it is nectaring on. Common Checkered-Skippers, also known as Common Checkered Skippers without the hyphen, are spread-winged skippers and are considered to be the most common skipper in North America.
Blooming Asters in Salt Lake County – Nikon D500, f8, 1/1600, ISO 400, -1.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
There was another clump of asters near a section of the pond that was shadowed while the asters were lit up by the afternoon light and I knew that if I photographed the blooming asters that it would look like they had a black background. I quite like the drama the black background added to this frame. This may be a Western Mountain Aster (Symphyotrichum spathulatum) but I am really unsure of that ID.
Even though I didn’t take any bird images yesterday afternoon I came home with some wildflowers photos and a Common Checkered-Skipper which is still a thing with wings.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my flower, shrub and tree photos. Click here to see my insect and spider galleries.
I also love your insect posts! The second shot with the asters against the black background is breathtaking!
Smiling here. Thank you.
I love that beautiful “thing with wings” and the asters its landed on. You are the best when it comes to flowers…and flowers with insects…I really enjoy the change of subjects…my interest in wildlife is not limited to birds…..
My criteria for photographs is “if it moves” it is worth photographing…….including flowers in a breeze. What a beautiful butterfly.