insects

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By Purple Martin Dragonfly Handoff
The male purple martin flashed past me and snagged a dragonfly.
Crimped the insect’s wing and spit the dragonfly out.
The male purple martin did a roll back and smiled at me.
From the lower left corner another purple martin appeared.
Either a female or an immature martin.
The male swept past me as I watched the other bird home in on the dragonfly.
Yes, it caught it, but sadly was too deep in the shadows for my camera to get a focused photo.
I think the male may have deliberately handed off the dragonfly.

By one still here… (3 photos)

I was visiting Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, NC, looking to photograph the fall flowers.
A butterfly bush (yes that is its name) caught my attention
as the skippers, cabbage and sulfur butterflies flitted about…
and a single, glowing, male monarch butterfly.
Oh, wow, I thought that all of them had already left for Mexico, their winter home.

walk0560-10-24-16-11-07-38-raulston-monarch-butterfly

walk0580-10-24-16-11-10-10-raulston-monarch-butterfly

walk0597-10-24-16-11-10-43-raulston-monarch-butterfly

By smaller flyer

Hmm, a much smaller flyer…than the eagles of late.
I found this fellow at the waterfall fountain at the Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, NC

WALK4205 Jul 07 2015 @ 14-56-53 Raulston Dragonfly

By well named

This is an American Snout butterfly.
It has a very descriptive name.
I had a grand time as he explored first my camera
and then my hand – “tasting” the sweat there.
there is a short video of the interaction at http://youtu.be/6FLyHy24XC0

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