This set of photographs was taken on the Museum Reach of the San Antonio River on Tuesday, August 6, 2013.
Showing posts with label queen butterfly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label queen butterfly. Show all posts
Sunday, September 22, 2013
A Queen and Purple Mist
While walking from the Pearl parking lot to the Bat Loco gathering at the Camden St bridge, I passed a section of the riverbank with a large planting of Purple Palmleaf Mistflowers. Dancing from flower to flower were a large number of Queen butterflies. It was a photo op I couldn't pass up:
Queen butterflies are close cousins of the Monarch butterfly in the Genus Danaus. The two have similar appearances and are sometimes confused with each other.
This set of photographs was taken on the Museum Reach of the San Antonio River on Tuesday, August 6, 2013.
This set of photographs was taken on the Museum Reach of the San Antonio River on Tuesday, August 6, 2013.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Wildscaping, A Sunday Special Edition
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Wildscaping is the creation of landscape, generally using native plants, specifically designed to attract a variety of wildlife. In a small but significant way, the wildscaping of yards in a neighborhood can help mitigate the effects of fragmentation of ecosystems that has resulted from urban development.
The Bordered Patch, Monarch and Queen butterflies and the Texas spiny lizard pictured here are only a very small sample of the wildlife that can be attracted to wildscaping in Bexar County.
These photos were taken this afternoon at the Texas Master Naturalist Wildscape Demonstration Garden on the San Antonio Riverwalk next to the intersection of Aubrey St and Old Gilbeau St just upstream from the Cesar Chavez Blvd bridge.
More information about Texas wildscaping can be found at this Texas Parks and Wildlife link.
Wildscaping
"Conservation and stewardship are not spectator sports. …"
"… Texas needs an involved and educated citizenry willing to demonstrate their commitment to conserving and managing the natural and cultural resources of Texas." - Michelle Haggerty, State Coordinator, Texas Master Naturalist Program, Texas Parks and Wildlife DepartmentMs Haggerty wrote this specifically for a Texas audience. It applies everywhere, not just Texas. One must only substitute one's own local geopolitical area and it still applies.
Wildscaping is the creation of landscape, generally using native plants, specifically designed to attract a variety of wildlife. In a small but significant way, the wildscaping of yards in a neighborhood can help mitigate the effects of fragmentation of ecosystems that has resulted from urban development.
The Bordered Patch, Monarch and Queen butterflies and the Texas spiny lizard pictured here are only a very small sample of the wildlife that can be attracted to wildscaping in Bexar County.
These photos were taken this afternoon at the Texas Master Naturalist Wildscape Demonstration Garden on the San Antonio Riverwalk next to the intersection of Aubrey St and Old Gilbeau St just upstream from the Cesar Chavez Blvd bridge.
More information about Texas wildscaping can be found at this Texas Parks and Wildlife link.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
A Walk in the Garden
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
San Antonio Botanical Garden, Texas Native Trail once around the pond
Today's photos:
There was much to see and photograph today at the San Antonio Botanical Garden, especially along the section of the Texas Native Trail (pdf map link) that circles the pond. This particular section of the trail emphasizes the plants of the East Texas Pineywoods region.
I would like to have had more time to spend walking today, but physical therapy for my shoulder took priority. As can be seen in the photographs, there is much more to the Botanical Gardens than just plants.
So that there is no confusion, the butterfly in the first photograph of the series is a Queen butterfly. It is one of at least a couple of butterfly species that closely mimic the appearance of the Monarch butterfly.
San Antonio Botanical Garden, Texas Native Trail once around the pond
Today's photos:
I would like to have had more time to spend walking today, but physical therapy for my shoulder took priority. As can be seen in the photographs, there is much more to the Botanical Gardens than just plants.
So that there is no confusion, the butterfly in the first photograph of the series is a Queen butterfly. It is one of at least a couple of butterfly species that closely mimic the appearance of the Monarch butterfly.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Beginning, Middle And End
Monday, June 11, 2012
Salado Creek Greenway, Lady Bird Johnson Park Trailhead, south,
(dirt to paved trail loop*)
Today's photos:
It is said every good story has a beginning, a middle and an end. The story of today's walk begins and ends with butterflies, but don't be fooled. To the casual observer, the three butterflies at the beginning appear to be the same kind as the two at the end. Take a closer look. Butterflies can be deceiving.
The first three are Queen Butterflies. The last two are Viceroy Butterflies. Both could easily be mistaken for Monarch Butterflies.
But then there's the middle. I could go on writing about any number of the creatures that appear in the middle: the turks cap flower, the elm trees, the black-backed lesser goldfinch, the black vulture, the killdeer, the snowy egret, the buckeye butterfly behind the white flowers beside the creek… . It would take forever to get this post online.
What is more important is to view the photos as the expression of a continuous experience. While the walk began and ended at the trailhead, the middle was indeed a continuum.
* Today I began my walk going south along the dirt trail at the base of the cliff on the east bank of the creek and then returned north along the paved trail on the west bank of the creek. The dirt path ends at the paved trail where the paved trail crosses from the west to the east side of the creek, thus creating a loop from the trailhead.
Salado Creek Greenway, Lady Bird Johnson Park Trailhead, south,
(dirt to paved trail loop*)
Today's photos:
The first three are Queen Butterflies. The last two are Viceroy Butterflies. Both could easily be mistaken for Monarch Butterflies.
But then there's the middle. I could go on writing about any number of the creatures that appear in the middle: the turks cap flower, the elm trees, the black-backed lesser goldfinch, the black vulture, the killdeer, the snowy egret, the buckeye butterfly behind the white flowers beside the creek… . It would take forever to get this post online.
What is more important is to view the photos as the expression of a continuous experience. While the walk began and ended at the trailhead, the middle was indeed a continuum.
* Today I began my walk going south along the dirt trail at the base of the cliff on the east bank of the creek and then returned north along the paved trail on the west bank of the creek. The dirt path ends at the paved trail where the paved trail crosses from the west to the east side of the creek, thus creating a loop from the trailhead.
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