Lifted on the Wind of a Butterfly's Wings

 I was walking in the woods today when I butterfly flitted past me, back and forth a few times across the path. I stopped and stood still to see if it would land somewhere, not thinking it would, because they so often don't. So there I stood, arms akimbo, watching this butterfly, which flew so close to me that on one pass I felt the breeze from its wings upon the skin of my arm. Then, finally, it landed.

Here I would like to mention one of my favorite books from childhood, one that I read over and over, called No Flying in the House. In this book was a little girl who was informed that the way to tell if you are a fairy is to try to kiss your own elbow. Fairies, according to the book, are the only people who can kiss their own elbows. I tried and tried to kiss my elbow, so that I could discover that I was a fairy, because if I was a fairy I could do magic, and fly, and it would be wonderful. Now, I won't tell you what happened with the little girl in the book, because I don't want to spoil it, but, as you may have guessed, I was never able to kiss my own elbow, because, not being a fairy, it was impossible. 

Now, it is not impossible to photograph your own elbow, but it is not easy either; still I was compelled to try because that is where the butterfly landed. There was no point in trying to use the camera in its harness on my chest, so I carefully reached into my pocket for my cellphone, which, fortunately, I could do with the opposite arm from where the butterfly landed. However, I never even got to take a shot; as butterflies do, it flew away before I got the chance. But I had a pretty rotten day, so I decided to take the gentle visit of this lovely creature as a form of comfort, as if the woods were trying to tell me it's all going to be okay.

I didn't get a picture of that butterfly, but I did get a picture of a butterfly:

However, I have no way of knowing that it isn't the same butterfly. It wasn't that far away from where I took this picture. This is red admiral, which was Backyard Bug of the Day a few days ago. Interestingly, this one was flying over one of the mini-meadow areas of the woods in the same spot where I took some pictures of a red admiral last week. I wonder if they hang around the same spot for a while? Or if they are territorial? Seems odd for a butterfly, but I am no expert. Anyway, there's not much blooming there at the moment, but it's obviously an attractive spot for red admiral butterflies for some reason. 

It is quite lovely, though, so who can blame them?

It's more of a meadow in progress, really. It's quite overgrown with invasive shrubs, that I have been trying to clear for several years. Some day, butterflies, it really will be a meadow full of flowers for you to enjoy.

I have been seeing a lot of butterflies lately. I am sure it is not at all a surprise to you that I don't have photos of them to share.

Backyard Bug of the Day:

 Female cranefly, laying eggs in the ground. I often see these bouncing up and down–well, flying, but in a bouncing up and down way, poking their ovipositors into the ground as they go. This one was just stationary, not moving the whole time I watched her. I now wonder if the bouncy ones I have seen before were just probing for a good place to lay their eggs, and if they find a good place they stay there for a while to lay them all in one place, rather than what I thought they were doing before (and maybe they were, I don't know), which is laying an egg in each spot. I should look this up some time... but you know what a lazy blogger I am, I am not going to look it up right now.

Speaking of being a lazy blogger, that is not what kept me from blogging the last few days. I have been ill, and we had some rain, so long walks with a camera were beyond my capacity. But I am feeling much better, so today I had a nice, long walk. I had my zoom lens on the camera, though, which, as you know, is not great for taking close-up pictures of insects. If I'd had my macro lens that would be a much closer picture of the cranefly above.

So, what else did I see today...

Amorous twice-stabbed lady beetles, one of this is a gentleman lady beetle.

A vortex that formed over the weekend in the stream. There is a hole in the stream bed, and it looks as if a rock (slightly visible in this picture) has been moved, and maybe that caused this. I am wondering if an animal was in the water and moved the rock, and caused the vortex. Or maybe it is a fairy portal to another realm? Anyway, it's fun to watch. That leaf was there, spinning around and around the whole time we stood watching it, while other leaves, like the one to the right, were sucked down, disappearing down the hole. It's curious to watch.

Also curious, and sorry if this is gross, but there is a dead frog in the stream that has been there for a couple of weeks, and it's been covered with more and more silt in that time, and it occurred to me that this is where fossils come from... Also, it seems to have algae growing on it now.

Tiny caterpillar dangling on a silk thread over the stream.

My first wood frog of the year! My husband gets the credit for spotting this one.

Assassin bug nymphs:

Tiny beetle that dropped into the leaf litter, that I didn't get a close shot of because I didn't have my macro lens, and also because while I was in the midst of attempting a better shot I got a very important phone call about the unpleasant thing that I had to deal with today, and I had to take it, even though it was most disagreeable to be taking any phone call at all out in the woods, in my happy place, but especially to be disturbed by such a bit of misery, and miss my chance at better pictures–because of course I was unable to find the tiny beetle again when I was finally able to hang up:

 I could post frogs, frogs, and more frogs now, because... well, I could, but I won't post a picture of every frog I saw and photographed today. That would be a bit much. Twice today I heard frogs cry out "Eep!" just as they jumped in the water when I approached. It was charming, although it always makes me a bit sad to be found so alarming. But most of the frogs in the big pond (where one of the Eeps took place) were quite mellow, and posed nicely for photos:

At first I had trouble spotting any at all, and then I saw this handsome specimen...

... and then realized it was not alone.

I walked around the other side, thinking there were no frogs there, because I didn't see any... until I did:

 

Deer always seem annoyed with me for being in the woods...

Here's a few shots from a couple of days ago, when I was able to take a short walk before fatigue sent me back:

My first spring peeper sighting of the year! Can't sight it?

How's this?

Spring peepers are tiny frogs. I was surprised by this when I found out, because they make a mighty racket on early, warm spring nights.

And another click beetle. They're everywhere lately.