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June: The Best

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For the past several summers, I have gone butterfly counting as often as possible. This year is no different. I’ll be back in Arkansas where I made this photo in a few weeks. Last year in June I was with the usual crew counting butterflies at the “Rick Evans” Grandview Prairie Nature Center near Hope, Ark. It was the best count ever! At least the best in my relatively short career as a butterfly counter. Prairies are wonderful butterfly habitat, and we saw lots. But the best sighting of the day, for me, at least, was this little beauty. Only…

May: Dauphin Island Adventure

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In May, I spent a few days on Dauphin Island–always a good time! But that trip I had a cold that wouldn’t quit, so one afternoon, instead of walking beaches and bird sanctuaries and neighborhoods as usual, I went to the marina and got on a “Lighthouse, Shrimping, Dolphin” boat tour. Turns out the dolphins were all vacationing in the Bahamas and the sea was too rough to go out to the lighthouse. Nevertheless…. it happened that the smallish group on the boat included a family of seven: mom, dad, a babe in arms, and four kids ranging in age…

April: NOT a Butterfly

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April is butterfly counting month. I could have shown you a slew of butterflies for this edition of #YearInReview. Instead, let me perhaps introduce you to a fascinating critter that is equally photogenic in its own way! Indeed, I encountered this “fella” (boy or girl? no idea!) while counting butterflies at Allen Acres in Vernon Parish. But as always, I rarely am able to focus on just ‘one thing’ when I am out in the natural world with my camera. This is not the first robber fly I have encountered. Indeed, over time I have become increasingly interested in robber…

March: In the Pawpaw Patch

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The Zebra Swallowtail is what is known in the butterfly world as a “specialist.” The adults nectar on a variety of white, open-throated blossoms, like the wild plum (Prunus species) in the photo above. But the caterpillars will eat only Pawpaw, thus the adults deposit eggs only on Pawpaw trees (Asimina triloba). Poverty Point World Heritage Site has an abundance of Pawpaw trees. In fact, it has a trail named after the Pawpaw trees, and if you walk that trail the right time of year, you can go home with your pockets and your field pack–and even your bandana turned…

February: Timberdoodle Time

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February 2025 brought me a brand new fun and educational experience. One of my Master Naturalist friends, Suzaanne Laird, gave our chapter a presentation on Woodcocks, then took us out to find some with the help of Quill, the Wonder Dog. Suzanne leads hunts, but hunting season was over. We were strictly out to experience a well-trained bird dog and to get a glimpse of a Woodcock. The day was a huge success on both accounts. Quill pointed a half dozen birds for us, but try as I might, I never saw one on the ground. On one occasion, I…