{"id":57908,"date":"2019-05-17T05:57:02","date_gmt":"2019-05-17T11:57:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=57908"},"modified":"2026-03-17T09:49:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T14:49:07","slug":"red-admiral-butterflies-and-wax-currants-in-bloom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/05\/17\/red-admiral-butterflies-and-wax-currants-in-bloom\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Admiral Butterflies And Wax Currants In Bloom"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-172226 size-full\" title=\"Red Admiral Butterfly nectaring on Wax Currant, West Desert, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/red-admiral-butterfly-vanessa-atatlanta-mia-mcpherson-8676.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/red-admiral-butterfly-vanessa-atatlanta-mia-mcpherson-8676.jpg\" alt=\"Red Admiral Butterfly nectaring on Wax Currant, West Desert, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah\" width=\"900\" height=\"643\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27900%27%20height%3D%27643%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20900%20643%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27900%27%20height%3D%27643%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/red-admiral-butterfly-vanessa-atatlanta-mia-mcpherson-8676-200x143.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/red-admiral-butterfly-vanessa-atatlanta-mia-mcpherson-8676-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/red-admiral-butterfly-vanessa-atatlanta-mia-mcpherson-8676-400x286.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/red-admiral-butterfly-vanessa-atatlanta-mia-mcpherson-8676-600x429.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/red-admiral-butterfly-vanessa-atatlanta-mia-mcpherson-8676-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/red-admiral-butterfly-vanessa-atatlanta-mia-mcpherson-8676.jpg 900w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><span style=\"color: #808080;\">Red Admiral butterfly nectaring on Wax Currant &#8211; Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p>While I photographed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/05\/15\/chipping-sparrows-wild-turkeys-and-broad-tailed-hummingbirds\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">male Broad-tailed Hummingbirds<\/span><\/a> a few days ago in the West Desert I also took a few moments to photograph some of the butterflies nectaring on the blooms of the Wax Currant bush which included Red Admiral butterflies.<\/p>\n<p>When the hummingbirds disappeared from my view I felt that I could focus on &#8220;other things with wings&#8221; because they were close, beautiful, and the setting with the currant blossoms was appealing to my eyes.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-172230 size-full\" title=\"Top view of a Red Admiral Butterfly on a Wax Currant, West Desert, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/red-admiral-butterfly-vanessa-atatlanta-mia-mcpherson-9256.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/red-admiral-butterfly-vanessa-atatlanta-mia-mcpherson-9256.jpg\" alt=\"Top view of a Red Admiral Butterfly on a Wax Currant, West Desert, Stansbury Mountains, Tooele County, Utah\" width=\"900\" height=\"643\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27900%27%20height%3D%27643%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20900%20643%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27900%27%20height%3D%27643%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/red-admiral-butterfly-vanessa-atatlanta-mia-mcpherson-9256-200x143.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/red-admiral-butterfly-vanessa-atatlanta-mia-mcpherson-9256-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/red-admiral-butterfly-vanessa-atatlanta-mia-mcpherson-9256-400x286.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/red-admiral-butterfly-vanessa-atatlanta-mia-mcpherson-9256-600x429.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/red-admiral-butterfly-vanessa-atatlanta-mia-mcpherson-9256-768x549.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/red-admiral-butterfly-vanessa-atatlanta-mia-mcpherson-9256.jpg 900w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><span style=\"color: #808080;\">Top view of a Red Admiral Butterfly on a Wax Currant &#8211; Nikon D500, f10, 1\/800, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n<p>This top view of a Red Admiral shows the striking wing patterns these butterflies are known for. This adult was less faded than the adult in the photo above and I&#8217;m glad it it posed for a few seconds with its wings nearly wide open.<\/p>\n<p>These photos were taken within the boundaries of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fs.usda.gov\/uwcnf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest<\/span><\/a>, I&#8217;m very grateful to have access to so much public land here in northern Utah.<\/p>\n<p>One year ago my mother and I spent the morning up in the Wasatch Mountains looking for birds and celebrating her birthday. Even though we aren&#8217;t together this year I just want to say Happy Birthday Mom!<\/p>\n<p>Life <em>is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n<p>Mia<\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/insects-and-spiders\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my insect and spider images.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While I photographed male Broad-tailed Hummingbirds a few days ago in the West Desert I also took a few moments to photograph some of the butterflies nectaring on the blooms of the Wax Currant bush which included Red Admiral butterflies. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":172230,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7167,5346,1316,358,26,1314],"tags":[12065,12066,4004,6098,6041,6042,7159,7174,7173,7168,7161,7169,7160],"class_list":["post-57908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-red-admiral-butterflies","category-shrubs","category-stansbury-mountains-utah","category-tooele-county","category-utah","category-west-desert-utah","tag-admiral","tag-admirals","tag-adult","tag-blooming","tag-butterflies","tag-butterfly","tag-currants","tag-pink-flowers","tag-red-admiral","tag-red-admiral-butterfly","tag-ribes-cereum","tag-vanessa-atalanta","tag-wax-currant"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/red-admiral-butterfly-vanessa-atatlanta-mia-mcpherson-9256.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-f40","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":88818,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/05\/23\/trees-shrubs-wildflowers-and-a-butterfly\/","url_meta":{"origin":57908,"position":0},"title":"Trees, Shrubs, Wildflowers And A Butterfly","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 23, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"On a recent trip to the West Desert sky island mountains in Tooele County I found my lens pointed at trees, shrubs, wildflowers and a butterfly.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;California Tortoiseshell Butterflies&quot;","block_context":{"text":"California Tortoiseshell Butterflies","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/california-tortoiseshell-butterflies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"California Tortoiseshell butterfly on blooming Wax Currant, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/california-tortoiseshell-butterfly-wax-currant-blooming-mia-mcpherson-0128-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/california-tortoiseshell-butterfly-wax-currant-blooming-mia-mcpherson-0128-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/california-tortoiseshell-butterfly-wax-currant-blooming-mia-mcpherson-0128-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/california-tortoiseshell-butterfly-wax-currant-blooming-mia-mcpherson-0128-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":69122,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/04\/27\/wax-currants-broad-tailed-hummingbirds-and-their-favorite-perches\/","url_meta":{"origin":57908,"position":1},"title":"Wax Currants, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds And Their Favorite Perches","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 27, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"In just a matter of days Wax Currants will start to bloom in some of the lower elevations of the mountains that aren't far from where I live and that has me excited.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Broad-tailed Hummingbird male resting on a favorite perch, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-perched-mia-mcpherson-9192.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-perched-mia-mcpherson-9192.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-perched-mia-mcpherson-9192.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-male-perched-mia-mcpherson-9192.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":57863,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/05\/15\/chipping-sparrows-wild-turkeys-and-broad-tailed-hummingbirds\/","url_meta":{"origin":57908,"position":2},"title":"Chipping Sparrows, Wild Turkeys and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 15, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The gems of my photographic journey yesterday morning were Broad-tailed Hummingbirds that were hanging around a Wax Currant bush next to the dirt road where the sounds of their wings alerted me to their presence.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Hovering male Broad-tailed Hummingbird, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-mountains-male-mia-mcpherson-7021.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-mountains-male-mia-mcpherson-7021.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-mountains-male-mia-mcpherson-7021.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-mountains-male-mia-mcpherson-7021.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":69598,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/05\/08\/female-broad-tailed-hummingbird-feeding-hovering-and-resting\/","url_meta":{"origin":57908,"position":3},"title":"Female Broad-Tailed Hummingbird Feeding, Hovering And Resting","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 8, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A few days ago I photographed my first of the season Broad-tailed Hummingbird and I was elated that the bird was a female.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Broad-tailed Hummingbird hovering under a Wax currant, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-female-mia-mcpherson-0744.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-female-mia-mcpherson-0744.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-female-mia-mcpherson-0744.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-female-mia-mcpherson-0744.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":92977,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/08\/05\/poppies-birds-trees-butterflies-and-a-smoky-haze\/","url_meta":{"origin":57908,"position":4},"title":"Poppies, Birds, Trees, Butterflies And A Smoky Haze","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 5, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The first time I raised my lens yesterday morning it was for blooming Prickly Poppies that were along the shoulder of the bumpy gravel road.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Blooming Prickly Poppy in a smoky haze at dawn, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/prickly-poppy-tooele-county-mia-mcpherson-3430.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/prickly-poppy-tooele-county-mia-mcpherson-3430.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/prickly-poppy-tooele-county-mia-mcpherson-3430.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/prickly-poppy-tooele-county-mia-mcpherson-3430.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58286,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/06\/01\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-bliss-in-the-wasatch-mountains\/","url_meta":{"origin":57908,"position":5},"title":"Broad-tailed Hummingbird Bliss in The Wasatch Mountains","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 1, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I spent yesterday morning enjoying a Broad-tailed Hummingbird bliss in the Wasatch Mountains by finding their favorite perches and photographing them feeding, resting, and defending their territories.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Broad-tailed Hummingbird at a blooming Black Twinberry Honeysuckle, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-black-twinberry-honeysuckle-mia-mcpherson-3837.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-black-twinberry-honeysuckle-mia-mcpherson-3837.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-black-twinberry-honeysuckle-mia-mcpherson-3837.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/broad-tailed-hummingbird-black-twinberry-honeysuckle-mia-mcpherson-3837.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57908","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57908"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57908\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/172230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}