I took my lifer Huron Sachem skipper butterfly photos! I may have seen this species before, but I had never photographed one of these skippers until yesterday.
Huron Sachem skipper butterfly in autumn – Canon R7, handheld, f8, 1/8000, ISO 1600, -0.7 EV, Canon 100-400mm at 248mm, natural light
I was outside waiting for birds to photograph when all of the activity on these pink-blooming sedums drew my attention. There were flies, wasps, Daddy Long Legs, and butterflies all over the flowers.
Huron Sachem skipper butterfly nectaring on sedum – Canon R7, handheld, f10, 1/1600, ISO 500, Canon 100-400mm at 400mm, natural light
I wasn’t sure of the species of skipper butterfly I photographed, but after I uploaded my photos to my hard drive and took a look, I had to know! I headed over to iNaturalist, and within a few minutes, I was able to identify this skipper as a Huron Sachem.
I felt an immediate connection to this species because of the name Huron. I was born not far from Lake Huron in Michigan, and I could walk to the lake from my maternal grandmother’s house.
Sachem means ‘chief of a tribe.’
Sedum and a Huron Sachem skipper butterfly – Canon R7, handheld, f10, 1/2000, ISO 500, Canon 100-400mm at 400mm, natural light
These are small skipper butterflies, and on my laptop screen, every one of my photos shows this butterfly larger than life.
Being able to handhold the camera and walk around while photographing the insects on the sedum was fantastic. I could control the precise light angles I wanted.
Adult Huron Sachem skipper butterfly in fall – Canon R7, handheld, f10, 1/1600, ISO 500, Canon 100-400mm at 400mm, natural light
Yesterday, I photographed other butterflies, including another lifer skipper, which I have yet to upload to my hard drive and identify. Painted Ladies were abundant, as was a fritillary species I need to identify.
Sometimes, a lull in bird activity is great, but I believe that every day in nature is worthwhile and worthy of sharing here.
Life is good.
Mia
Click here to see more of my insect and spider images.
Thank you. As always.