The Rare Eclipse Butterfly Finally Caught On Camera
Earlier today I went out to see the eclipse but I was greeted by another rare sight...a particular type of butterfly I've never been able to get a picture of.
I occasionally see these black and blue butterflies out in the yard but they are fast. They never appear when I have a camera and in the blink of an eye they disappear. I've been telling my husband for a year and a half now about these beautiful black and blue butterflies but he's never seen them.
I was standing in the yard at 2:26 PM when the eclipse was suppose to be at it's peak. I was standing with my back to the sun while I used selfie mode on my phone to take pictures. Out of nowhere the black and blue butterfly started flying circles around me and landed on the pavement right in front of me. It let me get the camera pretty close to take a few pictures of it. This one sat there for a few minutes before fluttering away.
I was so happy!!
Yeah there was an eclipse too...96% eclipse here in Tennessee.
I Guess It Was A Little Cool.....Just A Little.
I thought my black and blue butterfly was much more interesting though.
Did you watch the eclipse? Were You impressed?
I traveled to a totality zone and also use my selfie cam to view it from behind me over my shoulder but didn't get the picture like yours. I only got the sun part like in the upper part of your picture even during totality. But during 100% totality you can see the blackspace and ring of sun which oddly wouldn't show up in the phone cam, even when zoomed in. Filters have to be used to block out the intense light of the sun to get good quality pictures as well as protect your retinas during less than 100% totality viewing. My selfie cam on my moto e also isn't the best cam to use for such an event but all I had during it. On the drive home someone was making a big deal on the radio out of some ants and flies, bees or wasp, i forgot which, that vanished during the eclipse. I was impressed to see what my camera couldn't record. To me it was worth the 10 hour drive through traffic jams and I got to test out my 2001 honda hybrid insight I just bought 2 days before. About 360 miles around $12 in gas not exact figures but the indicator ranged from a low of 30mpg up to a high of 43mpg during the trip and that was in stop and go highway traffic up to 80 mph with full A/C and 96°F weather. I hope in 7 years to be more prepared with better equipment to get better images for the Apr 8 2024 eclipse near Indianapolis. That is my plan for a RV vacation week including other travel sites during it. With an RV I would wait for the traffic jams to clear up and leave when ready instead of from the necessity of getting back in time for work. This is a rare event that should be experienced in totality at least once in your lifes bucket list.
I still can't believe you went on a road trip. lol. That eclipse was magical.
LOL. LOVE YOUR ENTHUSIASM FOR THE BUTTERFLY INSTEAD!
The butterfly was way cooler than the eclipse. I saw an eclipse once as a kid. I wasn't impressed then either. lol
Wow the butterfly has the same color of the tube.
You know...I didn't even notice that. lol.
I watched it. I was impressed. I'll do a write up thingy later with photos.
You got some lucky shots there with the butterfly.
I'm a little late replying. I did get very lucky with the butterfly. I see them every once in a while. White butterflies I see 10 a day but the black and blue ones are a bit more rare.
Wow... very cool! And strangely synchronistic... my own "Eclipse post" was also about butterflies...
lol. He was trying to see the eclipse too.
Have never seen a butterfly with that coloring. Beautiful!
Nice shots of the eclipse, too! It was too cloudy here, dang it.
You didn't miss much. Blinding sunlight. It might have been funner if I was with a crowd. Me standing alone in my driveway with the cats was anti-climactic. lol
Lol! Gotcha...
There were some good programs covering the science of it all, so there's that. Pretty interesting, actually. ;~D
Nice, a red-spotted swallowtail, I believe. And yes, they are fast and very wary. I'm convinced that they can see you coming.
So the butterfly has a name...thanks! We have a ton of white butterflies. And some monarchs. These blue and black ones are the rare ones and my favorites. I'd never seen blue on a butterfly before.
That is a gorgeous butterfly!!