Cabbage White butterfly in a marsh, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, UtahCabbage White butterfly in a marsh – Nikon D500, f8, 1/1250, ISO 400, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

This morning I wanted to share a few of my recent butterfly images taken in the marsh at Bear River MBR and high up in the Wasatch Mountains.

I photographed a couple of Cabbage White butterflies resting and nectaring on several different wildflowers at Bear River MBR.

Cabbage White butterfly on a sunflower, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, UtahCabbage White butterfly on a sunflower – Nikon D500, f8, 1/2500, ISO 400, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

Cabbage White butterflies are an introduced species. As common as they are now in North America these images represent my first photos of this species.

Male Clouded Sulphur nectaring, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, UtahMale Clouded Sulphur nectaring – Nikon D500, f8, 1/2500, ISO 400, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

I have photographed Clouded Sulphur butterflies before. I simply can’t resist taking images of them wherever I see them. This male was near the Cabbage White butterflies at the refuge when I took photos of him.

Clouded Sulphur butterfly in a marsh, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, UtahClouded Sulphur butterfly in a marsh – Nikon D500, f8, 1/2500, ISO 400, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

And this Clouded Sulphur butterfly was just down the road. I often find them on the last leg of the auto tour route during the month of August into early September.

Woodland Skipper butterfly resting on a leaf, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, UtahWoodland Skipper butterfly resting on a leaf – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

This last butterfly, a Woodland Skipper, was photographed in Morgan County high in the Wasatch Mountains last week. Finding and photographing this species was also a first for me.

Roadside Woodland Skipper butterfly, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, UtahRoadside Woodland Skipper butterfly – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/1250, ISO 500, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light

The small skipper caught my eyes while I was parked on the edge of a dusty road looking for birds to fly into a clump of chokecherries. I was delighted to take photos of this skipper.

As hot as it has been here, and it has been scorching hot, I know that before long summer will end, temps will drop and I will miss seeing these other things with wings over the late fall and winter. I always do.

Life is good.

Mia

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