Hello Butterfly

You'd never know it from my pictures, but I have been seeing a fair number of butterflies lately. I lost count of how many species I saw today. A red spotted purple flew right at me, circled around me, flew away, turned around and came back, flew around me again, and flew off in the other direction. I don't know why they do that. I should just enjoy these close encounters, and I would if I was not outside trying to take pictures of bugs. Maybe from now on I should just give up on photographing butterflies and simply take pleasure in these strange meetings. Maybe they are just saying hello. It is too bad to not get a picture of a red spotted purple, though. They are beautiful.

One species that has been notably absent in my backyard so far this year: monarch butterflies. I have not seen a single one.

Backyard Bug of the Day:

 Caterpillar

I've been seeing baby rabbits in places around our backyard and our new property. They must have recently come out of their nests, or burrows, or whatever they are called. This one was with its mother and another baby rabbit; the other two scampered off when we approached, but this one, as you can see, let us get very close. This picture was taken with my phone as we walked in the woods.

Other Bugs:

 Plant hoppers

 The oak galls have changed color and it looks like the wasp has emerged from this one.

 Any bug that feeds on these flowers ends up covered in pollen.

 Caterpillar

 Skipper. Skippers are the most cooperative butterflies by far.

 Remember that moth from yesterday, the really uncooperative one? Here's another one. See what I mean?

 Lady beetle eating aphids, a very common site lately.

Backyard Reptile of the Day:
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I took this with my phone on our walk, so adjusting for lighting was not an option, so you can't really see what's going on here, but this garter snake has a toad in its mouth.