I generally have such a hard time distinguishing between the yellow and black-colored swallowtails, especially in flight. Sometimes they flutter in wafts high up in the treetops and other times they're spastic through a natural corridor like a crazy cat chasing a laser light. I meant to ask Dr. Shapiro how he tells the difference, but I was already struggling with information overload much of the day. We also spotted western tiger (Papilio rutulus, aka Pterourus rutulus), two-tailed (Papilio milticaudatus, aka Pterourus milticaudata), and anise (Papilio zelicaon, more pictures) swallowtail butterflies. This distinctively light-colored pale swallowtail was kind enough to be
mud-puddling so that I could get a half-way decent picture.
2 comments:
I need a lot of co-operation from nature to get photos too. Today we have had Violet-green swallows...swoop swoop.
Thanks, Jeannette. It's nice to hear other people are in the same boat. This definitely makes me appreciate the work of professional nature photographers.
I love stopping to watch the barn and tree swallows do flybys across the Rec Trail near Fisherman's Wharf. It'd be nice to get a couple good photos, but I'm not sure a still frame would do their aerial acrobatics justice.
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