The snow in Connecticut is the inspiration today. (After last winter, I really don't miss the snow, and if I change my mind, I can always head up to the Sierras.) While we had year round residents (Tufted Titmice, Cardinals, Woodpeckers), the butterflies, dragonflies, and other insects were only around in the spring and summer. The summer before was a spectacular one for butterflies with Eastern Tiger Swallowtails everywhere, but this year was no slouch either.
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| Eastern Tailed Blue |
In the woods behind the house, I found tiny Eastern Tailed Blues and American Coppers. A Question Mark stopped long enough for me to get a nice shot with its wings spread. The summer before I had never heard of a Pearl Crescent, but this was just one of many I saw around Connecticut.
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| American Copper |
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| Question Mark(?) |
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| Pearl Crescent |
Now that I am starting to feel comfortable with my butterflies, I started to look at the prehistoric-looking dragonflies. (I swear ID'ing dragonflies is tougher than ID'ing birds, but more on that later. To any Odonata specialists, any helpful feedback is welcome.) Each is prefaced with..."I think", not "This is"...
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| Arrowhead Spiketail |
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| Eastern Amberwing |
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| Halloween Pennant (kind of appropriate) |
I will start fresh next spring, trying to learn the species of dragonflies in California, but I now have a better idea of how to take pictures of them, which angles, etc.
Closer to home, we had the ever popular Monarch along with a Great Spangled Fritillary and a Spicebush Swallowtail. 
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