[SOOC]
Yeah, I know: this is centered. From focusing with 56-year old eyes. I would crop it from the right, but composition is my only self-criticism, so I’ll leave it as-is to be SOOC.
I thought this would be a skipper or a cloudywing from the Hesperiidae family. Sigh. Not even close. My regional coordinator at BAMONA was gentle with me. “Check the antennae. Classic butterfly clubbed antennae. Hesperiids are the True Skippers. Skipper antennae are not clubbed but are enlarged toward the tip but are often tapered.”
The clues are there: this is Junonia coenia, or Common Buckeye. As MaryBeth pointed out on yesterday’s post, there is nothing common about Common Buckeyes. They are beautiful butterflies … well, when seen from above. This ventral view threw me all off, but an uncommon Common Buckeye it is!
Additional note. This female was so still, she let me get “this close” with my shorter lens and a +4 close-up filter.
Further edit. There is probably a reason she was so still … and was still there two days later. From my regional coordinator at BAMONA: “The blunt answer is [she’s] probably dying :( Buckeyes come to us from warmer climates as temporary colonists and cannot survive winter even in your neighborhood. Even if she has, and she probably has, laid eggs they or the resulting larvae are unlikely to survive. Your populations of J. coenia, like mine, will be replenished from the south next year.”
Retired economics professor (“dismal scientist”). Married 40+ years to the love of my life; we have two grown daughters, both married, two granddaughters and a...
Beautiful shot! Rules were made to he broken, and sometimes going against the rules works, as I think it does here. I've suffered from the same dilemma (with my 58 tear old eyes, lol!) and in the end I think we just have to go with what looks right and feels right. I subscribe to a pretty well known photographer's daily blog photo, and one of his recent ones featured someone driving off toward the sunset, all perfectly centered horizontally, and even centered visually vertically as well. But it works, beautifully.
I can't believe you're still seeing butterflies - this is a beauty! I need to get back to the Butterfly Garden at the Museum of Science to get some more photos for you!
With apologies to all! I have barely had time to post my own. Life has just been too full to spend more time learning from and oohing-and-ahhing over your posts!
@lindag There's probably an explanation for her cooperation: I've captured her in her final resting place… @ronah Thanks for your encouraging words, Rona! @danette There's a reason I got so close. She's not in a caring mood. See the "Further edit" above… @sparkleplenty1 Thank you, Joyce. This may be the last butterfly shot of the season. And fitting that I caught her at the end of her time, too… @michelleyoung Thank you so much, Michelle!
![A ‘school photo’ portrait [Filler]](https://media.365project.org/1/9434205_hijklnqsv2_sq.jpg "A ‘school photo’ portrait [Filler]")
![On the monkey bars [Filler]](https://media.365project.org/1/9434496_eijmty2367_sq.jpg "On the monkey bars [Filler]")
![Eclipse gazing I [Filler]](https://media.365project.org/1/9435438_ahmrsyz058_sq.jpg "Eclipse gazing I [Filler]")
![Eclipse gazing II [Filler]](https://media.365project.org/1/9435437_aghkmnpqtv_sq.jpg "Eclipse gazing II [Filler]")
![With the author/chef [Filler]](https://media.365project.org/1/9437407_acfhtuz078_sq.jpg "With the author/chef [Filler]")
@lindag There's probably an explanation for her cooperation: I've captured her in her final resting place…
@ronah Thanks for your encouraging words, Rona!
@danette There's a reason I got so close. She's not in a caring mood. See the "Further edit" above…
@sparkleplenty1 Thank you, Joyce. This may be the last butterfly shot of the season. And fitting that I caught her at the end of her time, too…
@michelleyoung Thank you so much, Michelle!