Purple
Great Spangled Fritillary Butterfly
On a recent hike along one of the trails at the Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area, just outside Branson, MO, I stumbled upon this Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly. Of course, I didn’t know that’s what kind of butterfly it was. I had to look it up.
It was a warm day in June and to get this shot I had to wade through waist high grasses. Along with this image I came away with a multitude of chigger bites and a couple of ticks. A small inconvenience for the beauty I captured.
You can get a better, more detailed look at this scene by clicking on the image. When you do, a larger, full-screen version will open in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
All Work and No Play
This is a very large bumblebee working its way around a very small purple flower. I captured this image on a walk though a nature trail just outside of Branson, Missouri.
One item of interest that I didn’t notice until I viewed this on my computer screen is there is a mite clinging to this bumblebee – right about the center of side. I did a little research and discovered mites are often found on bumblebees. Interesting note – the mites are not interested in the bumblebee as a host but as a means of transportation.
You can view a larger, more detailed version of this image – if you have a large-screen device – by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Quiet Company
A delicate, Eastern Tailed-Blue butterfly rests on a vibrant purple aster bloom, its wings softly spread. An out of focus bee can be seen zipping by in the background above.
Look closely at the bottom of the butterfly’s hindwings; you’ll see tiny, delicate hair-like tails that give the species its name. Here’s a fun fact…the Eastern Tailed-Blue often rubs its hindwings together when perched. This movement makes the tiny tails wiggle, which is thought to trick predators like birds or spiders into attacking the “wrong end” of the butterfly, allowing it to escape with only a small piece of wing missing.
You can get a better look at those hair-like tails by clicking on the photo. That will bring up a much larger, more detailed image in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Two-tailed Swallowtail Butterfly
A vibrant, yellow, Two-tailed Swallowtail butterfly works to draw the nectar from a purple thistle, showing off its striking yellow and black wings accented by blue dots on the tail.
I captured this image while photographing a herd of bison on the prairie at Custer State Park in South Dakota. While focused on the buffalo, this flash of color caught my eye and I immediately changed focus. So, in the middle of my strip of large, brown beasts is a few frames of this delicate beauty.
Click on the photo, itself, to see a larger, full-screen version in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Loverly
These deep purple lilies were a pleasant early summer gift. I love the way the yellow centers stand out and how the petals are delicately veined.
I found this beauty blooming in a small flower bed in southwest Wisconsin a couple of weeks ago. The colors and the composition are what makes this a good capture for me.
You can see a larger, more detailed version of this image by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Bee’s Got High Hopes
A vibrant, purple wildflower with delicate petals covered in small water droplets stands out against a blurred background of greenery. A tiny bee hovers, inspecting with, what I imagine, are great expectations.
This is an image I snapped in July of 2023 while hiking thought the woods of northwest Missouri.
You can get a better view of the flower and bee by clicking on the image.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Purple Veined Moth Orchid
This is a beautiful example of the Moth Orchid. The photo captures the delicate beauty of the orchids, contrasting with the subtle pattern on the butterfly’s wings.
This is one of the images I captured at the Butterfly Palace in Branson, MO. This was clicked in October of 2023.
You can view a larger version of this image by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Wild Bee on Wild Bergamot
The wild bergamot blooms seemed to be a favorite work site of the wild bees. This is another image gathered from our hike through the nature trail along Baird Creek in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
This was a difficult image to capture because the lighting was pretty dim and the bee wouldn’t hold still, but I do like the detail of the translucent wings.
You can view a larger, more detailed version of this photo by clicking on the image. When you do, a new browser tab will open with a full-screen view.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Wild Bergamot
We went hiking on one of the nature trails along Baird Creek in Green Bay, Wisconsin. At the very beginning of our walk we saw patches of this wild flower – Wild Bergamot. We’ve seen it in the woods before, but had to look it up for the name. It’s a pretty purple with a unique combination of petals and spikes. It also seemed pretty prolific.
There will be more photos from our Baird Creek hike. To see this one in a larger size, click on the photo and a full-screen version will open in a new browser tab.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.
Queen of the Vines – Clematis
The Clematis may be best known for its large-flowering, purple, star-shape blossoms on twining vines. They are mainly of Chinese and Japanese origin. Clematis is a genus of about 300 species within the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. Their garden hybrids are popular among gardeners.
I spotted these on a trip to Sunrise Farm in the Brussels, Wisconsin area. They are our supplier of choice for naturally raised meat. While stopping by to pick up a few things, we saw a large stunning display of these beauties growing alongside the house.
You can see a larger, more detailed version of this image by clicking on the photo.
All of the photos I post are available for purchase. If you’d like to buy one, click on the blue “Buy this Online” bar below for a variety of print and frame options or contact me ([email protected]) for digital purchase and licensing options.