Beaver Creek Reserve Butterfly House 2011

I wandered out to Beaver Creek Reserve Wednesday to check out the Butterfly House that just opened for the year. I'm hoping to get back a few times later in the year to see what else has hatched out, but here's the early installment.

Monarch butterfly

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Northern crescent butterfly

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Wood-satyr

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Mustard white butterfly

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American lady butterfly

These were so pretty and so cooperative--took way too many shots, but managed to winnow them down to three faves:

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it still amazes me that a butterfly so vibrant in color and beatuiful comes from a small little catterpiller.

beautiful pics hazel, and thank you

You're welcome, breeze! If I make it back, I'll post more pics here and let ya know. :D

That transformation from caterpillar to butterfly always amazes me, too. There was a monarch there that was still pumping up its wings after emerging from its chrysalis and another chrysalis about to split open and release its occupant. Ran out of time, though, so I didn't get to see the emergence. :o

oh those are so gorgeous, usually in august is when we see the most monarchs around here...well towards the end of august

I'm just seeing the first occasional monarch coming through the yard. For a while, we had a lot of swallowtails wafting through, but they seem to have become scarce now.

Gorgeous :)

If I make it back, I'll post more pics here :o


you mean your going back?? take me with you!!!!
(you better come back :D and post more, I love looking at them)

I hope to get back a little later in the season. :fingerscr

I like that last shot :) shows the neat patterns so well :thumbs up

They have that webbing on the underwing--you can actually see that pattern shine through to the upperwing in that shot. First time I'd ever noticed that. The lighting was near to perfect that day. Fortunate since it was the only day I had available. :D

These are beautiful Hazel. I too, like the last picture. It just amazes me how striking their colours and patterns are when your up close like that. :thumbs up

I hope to get back a little later in the season. :fingerscr


that will give me time to get there and then I can come with you :D:D

Kewl! :cool: :highfive: How much of a heads up will you need? :D

Kewl! :cool: :highfive: How much of a heads up will you need? :D

not sure :laughing::laughing:
it takes a while to get there, goggled it and :eek:

Hmmmm...just did the mapquest thing and you're right! :eek: :p 1000+ miles just so you can see the butterflies! I guess I won't be expecting you, then? :laughing:

Came across this one from June. It was in the garden, not at the reserve, but I'll throw it in here.

Viceroy butterfly

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Hmmmm...just did the mapquest thing and you're right! :eek: :p 1000+ miles just so you can see the butterflies! I guess I won't be expecting you, then? :laughing:

I know, :( so far away :(

how do you know what kind they are??

They're all native to this area, so I've learned them over the years. Also, there are volunteers to confirm the IDs of the ones at the butterfly house.

They're all native to this area, so I've learned them over the years. Also, there are volunteers to confirm the IDs of the ones at the butterfly house.


and you remember all of them?? I would be so in aw about the colors and how many there are that I would forget their names unless I took notes or something :o and even that I don't think I could do what you do.

I've got a butterfly book, too--it's called Butterflies through Binoculars, the field guide for the east. It's got some nice pics in it. :D If I'm IDing butterflies in the yard, I may have to search a bit for the name, or to tell if I'm looking at a checkerspot or a crescent. I'm sure the butterfly doesn't care what we call it, but it's very satisfying to me when I can identify it for sure. :)

There is someting like that in Niagara Falls,I was there once and it was amazing,too humid though,so I did not stay long..we've had a few Swallow-Tails,black and yellow ones.
My Butterfly-Bushes are just about to bloom,that's usually when we see the Monarchs returning.

This one is pretty small, chico. It's just a metal frame like a greenhouse, but covered in black mesh, not plastic, so it's basically open air. They raise their own caterpillars in a small lab inside the main reserve building and bring them out as each is ready to hatch out of its chrysalis.

I hope you see lots of Monarchs this year. We've seen a couple so far, but not a lot yet. I thought at first that the viceroy was a monarch...