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…

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…

September: Tensas River NWR

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You never know what you’re going to see. But in or near the Tensas River NWR, your chances of seeing a Louisiana Black Bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) are better than anywhere else in the state! I have now encountered a bear on three occasions, the last one being in September 2024. After completing a Sunday morning assignment in St. Joseph, La., I entered the refuge from the south and drove slowly north, looking for wildlife and stopping often to photograph birds, butterflies, dragonflies, wildflowers and the ubiquitous raccoons. Tensas rarely disappoints the avid wildlife watcher and photographer. By the time…

July: Vernon Parish

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I love birds. If you’re following this blog, you know that I love to photograph and count birds. But birds are not my sole winged passion. As soon as spring is in sight, I’ll be bugging my friend Craig Marks, who has written THE book on butterflies in Louisiana, to publish the upcoming summer’s butterfly count schedule. I’ll be on as many of those counts as I can manage, time wise. Thus it was that last July, I participated in the annual butterfly count in Vernon Parish. That count begins at Allen Acres, a B&B run by my friend Dr….

Local: Happiness!

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Another local event I enjoy participating in is the Mayor of West Monroe’s art show. Her name is Staci Albritton Mitchell and the lobby outside her office in city hall makes a great art gallery. Every year since elected she has hosted a year-long show in that space. This year’s theme is “Happiness,” and I am delighted to have been selected to participate. I didn’t have any trouble finding images to submit! What says happiness better than butterflies and wildflowers, my fave subjects? Dance of the Butterfly won first place in the “Artistic” category of Louisiana Master Naturalist Association’s 2022…