Here’s the first of many butterfly photos I took this week during walks at Happy Landings in Brookfield, Connecticut. The vast meadows are home to a great number and variety of butterflies.
I’m kicking off the Birds of New England unofficial Butterfly Weekend with this shot because the butterfly’s wings are still perfectly intact. Many butterflies have wings that are damaged due to predators, weather or any other number of factors. These wings are as yet unscathed.
Here’s the latest For the Birds column …
This moment existed only because of the heavy rains we experienced last week. The body of water was small, shallow, algae-ridden and not at all something to behold.
OK, it was a puddle. No more, no less … your typical run-of-the-mill puddle.
Until a least sandpiper showed up and transformed the puddle into an exotic waterscape. The small shorebird was migrating south earlier this week and saw the puddle as the perfect place to rest and perhaps find an easy meal.
It had flown in from somewhere up north and was on its way to points south. But for a few hours anyway, home was a puddle in New England.
The bird paid little attention to me as I watched and photographed it for several minutes. Migrating birds can be like that. They are intensely focused on fueling and resting for their long journey.
The funny thing about the sighting was the location of the puddle. It exists on and off — depending on the weather — at a dirt parking area that Continue reading
Birds of New England.com 