Butterfly Dance

Red-spotted purple admiralWalking in the heat and thinking about the water that waited for me in the car. The birds were wisely sticking to the shade, and I didn’t think I’d take many photos. But then…What have we here?!?…I saw a flutter. I looked at the sawtooth oak that stands across from the 1.8 mile marker on the trail, and I realized there were lots of flutters all around its trunk. Butterflies!These too were very…busy! (wood nymphs)Two wood nymphs that were…mating? Playing? Chasing each other? I have no idea! What I do know is they were fluttering together around the tree. Have I seen that before? I don’t think so.Hard to photograph, fun to watch!As I looked closer, I realized they were not alone. There were at least a half dozen wood nymphs on that tree trunk. Smaller, fewer and smaller “eyes” - I think this is a male.I noticed differences in their color and size I had never noticed before. Some were larger and lighter. Some were a rich, dark brown. Some had bigger “eyes” on…