Mourning Cloak Butterflies are among the first to appear each spring in our area.
Last week the mercury rose to the mid-teens and as such, I observed my first butterflies of the year. With new bird species arriving daily, it’s easy to forget about butterflies emerging on a warm spring day; however, seeing the first one of the year is equally exciting.
Not all butterflies overwinter as adults, in fact, there are only a few species that do in our area. In order to survive the cold winter months overwintering butterflies seek shelter behind tree bark, in woodpiles or other crevices and enter a state of dormancy similar to other animals that hibernate. During the first warm days of spring, these butterflies become active and take flight.
My first sighting this year, as is the case most years, was a Mourning Cloak Butterfly. Seeing this while hiking in the warm sunshine instantly put a smile on my face and my smile widened when the butterfly landed in some nearby leaves allowing me to capture a handful of images. On this day I saw several Mourning Cloaks more so than I’ve ever seen in a single day before.
Eastern Comma Butterfly
As I continued on a little further my second species of the day appeared, this time an Eastern Comma. It too landed in the dry leaves after a brief aerial joust with a Mourning Cloak. Seeing the two butterflies spin rapidly in circles was like watching a colourful funnel cloud.
Nearing the end of my hike, I saw my third butterfly species of the day, a Milbert’s Tortoiseshell, spreading its wings in the sunshine.
Milbert’s Tortoiseshell Butterfly
Finding the first butterflies of the year can be quite easy if conditions are right and you search the best areas. First and foremost temperatures must be warm enough for the butterflies to be active. As mentioned earlier, temperatures in the mid-teens (Celsius) or warmer are required. On sunny days in deciduous forests is where I have the best luck preferably in wet areas near streams or swamps.
As far as photographing butterflies go you can get away with a much slower shutter speed than you can when photographing birds. I follow the reciprocal rule which means my shutter speed is set to at least the reciprocal of my focal length. For me shooting at 400mm this means I use a shutter speed of 1/400 or faster. On sunny days I use a lower ISO as well and typically find myself shooting between ISO 200 and 400 to achieve a shutter speed of 1/400. As in most cases, I shoot at f/8 as not only is my lens sharper at this aperture than it is wide open the added depth helps keep the entire butterfly sharp when I focus on its head.
Though not as colourful from the underside, this Mourning Cloak Butterfly was a treat to see on a sunny spring afternoon.
Remember to use your histogram to check your exposure because in sunny conditions a butterfly’s wings will reflect the light resulting in overexposure and loss of detail. In these situations, I often underexpose my images by 1/3 to 2/3 of a stop to retain as much detail as I can. Lastly, be sure your shadow does not project over the butterfly as this change from light to dark will cause the butterfly to spook and take flight.
With plenty of warm spring days to come there will be ample opportunities to get out and search for these early emerging butterflies. Find a sunny deciduous forest close to water, and keep your eyes peeled for their colourful aerial dance. With a little patience, these butterflies will land displaying their beautiful colours. This experience combined with the warm spring sun is bound to a smile on your face.
Good birding,
Paul
* Please note this post contains an Amazon affiliate link. You can help support my website by using the above link when you purchase products on Amazon (they send me a few bucks when you do at no additional cost to you). I only provide links to products I have purchased and am satisfied with based on my own experience. Thanks for your support!*
Southwestern Ontario is home to an abundance of butterflies including the Black Swallowtail and the summer months present the best time to get out and enjoy them.
For as long as I can remember I have always had an interest in nature. Even as a young child I enjoyed observing birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals. Birds were and continue to be my passion, but in recent years my fascination with butterflies has grown exponentially. I think part of this fascination comes from the fact that we have such a variety of beautiful butterflies throughout Southwestern Ontario and I seem to encounter a different species almost every time I am out.
Searching area meadows filled with wildflowers for butterflies is a great way to spend time outdoors during the summer months. I recently photographed this Question Mark Butterfly on a coneflower.
Depending on the weather, butterflies are typically observed in our area from April to November with different species being observed at different times of the year. As the seasons progress, new species appear providing variety throughout the year. This continued influx of species adds to my fascination and makes every outing different. In many ways it is very similar to bird migration knowing that there is the potential to see something new every time I am out in the field.
Observing and photographing butterflies throughout the summer months and into early fall is a great way to spend time in the outdoors. I find it a nice change of pace from photographing birds and to be honest less challenging. Compared to birds, butterflies move slower, are less wary, and when nectaring on a flower often provide unobstructed views. Also, butterflies can be quite predictable regularly landing on the tallest flower in a group or the one with with a clear flight path to it, which allows me to prepare myself for the shot long before it presents itself.
Despite being a species at risk in Ontario, Monarch Butterflies can be found in area fields and meadows. Searching meadows that contain milkweed is this best way to locate this beautiful butterfly.
When it comes to butterflies, the Monarch is by far my favourite followed closely by the Black Swallowtail. Perhaps the fact that the Monarch Butterfly is a species at risk in Ontario combined with its impressive fall migration spanning thousands of kilometers is why I am so intrigued by this species.
Butterflies are plentiful in Southwestern Ontario and can be found in a variety of habitats. I like to concentrate most of my time searching fields and meadows with an abundance of wildflowers. Meadows containing a few small trees and shrubs adjacent to a forest edge are particularity productive as this offers the most diverse habitat and provides a location for butterflies to feed, seek shelter, and roost.
Red Admiral Butterfly nectaring on a dogwood blossom.
Since butterflies roost at night and during cold, wet weather, the best time to locate them is from mid-morning to late afternoon on sunny days. This is when daytime temperatures are the highest and consequently so too is butterfly activity. During the summer months, getting out during the midday sun in the hot humid conditions is the best time to locate butterflies. While birds and mammals may be less active during the heat of the day, butterflies are quite the opposite.
While out photographing butterflies at an area meadow I found this monarch caterpillar within the buds of a Common Milkweed plant.
When photographing butterflies I like to use similar camera settings as I would when photographing birds. If you are comfortable shooting in manual mode I would recommend doing so and adjust your ISO and aperture to give you a shutter speed of around 1/1000 of a second. This may seem like a fast shutter speed for butterflies, but has become my benchmark shutter speed for all nature photography. Butterflies may not move as quickly as birds, but a fast shutter speed is equally important for several reasons. First, butterflies will almost always give a slow wing flap when nectaring on a flower. This motion may not appear like much, but can result in a significant amount of blur on your final image if your shutter speed is too slow. Second, on windy days the flower or other object that the butterfly is resting on will move back and forth in wind. Having a fast shutter speed will help to freeze this action leading to a sharp image. Finally, a fast shutter speed will help compensate for any camera shake encountered while trying to steady the lens. If you are not comfortable shooting in manual mode than I would recommend aperture priority mode and again adjust your ISO and aperture to give you give you a shutter speed as close to 1/1000 of a second as possible. I prefer to photograph all nature including butterflies on sunny days as the bright sun really brings out the colours and contrast of an image, so achieving this fast of shutter speed under these conditions is never a problem.
Butterfly identification can be incredibly challenging as many species are very similar in appearance. For example, the American Lady (top) displays 2 large eyespots visible on the underside of the hindwing. The Painted Lady (bottom) displays 4 smaller eyespots on the underside of the hindwing.
During these sunny conditions one issue that is readily encountered is excessive highlights in your image. Often times flower petals and/or the buttery’s wings will be overexposed resulting in a loss of colour, contrast, and detail. I recommend turning your camera’s highlight alert on and paying close attention to your histogram to watch for this. These extreme highlights can be easily corrected by adjusting your camera settings to slightly underexpose the image if you are shooting in manual mode or by making use of exposure compensation in aperture priority mode. I find that on most sunny days I underexpose by 1/3 to 2/3 of a stop to compensate for these highlights. Making these simple adjustments will result in a better final image as it will capture the true colour, contrast, and detail of both the butterfly and the flower.
The Question Mark Butterfly is named for the pearly silver question mark visible on the underside of its hindwing.
When out photographing butterflies during summer conditions there are a few things I do to protect myself while out in the field. Wearing sunscreen is a must. It doesn’t take long these days to get a sunburn and the damage to your skin caused by the sun is not something to take lightly. I also make sure I stay hydrated and nourished by drinking lots of water and taking a snack. I prefer energy bars as they are quite filling and fit nicely into my pocket. Dehydration and hunger can sneak up fast on hot days and by being proactive both are easily avoided. I also choose to wear a lightweight long sleeve shirt and pants rather than shorts and a T-shirt not only to protect against the sun’s harmful UV rays, but also protect me from insects including mosquitoes and ticks. I also apply insect repellent for added protection. When searching for butterflies in areas where I have encountered ticks in the past, I tuck my shirt into my pants and my pants into my socks to prevent access to my skin. These simple measures make sure my time spent outside is enjoyable despite the conditions.
Black Swallowtail Butterfly nectaring on a Common Milkweed Flower.
If you avoid getting out and enjoying nature during the summer months because it is too hot and humid or you find conditions slow, give searching for butterflies a try. I think you will agree that there is always plenty of action and will quickly forget about the heat, humidity, and undesired insects as you get lost in the beauty of not only the butterflies themselves but also the colourful summer blooms they are attracted to.
This Painted Lady Butterfly visiting a Marigold flower in my backyard happened to be a late season record for our area.
October has seen temperatures slightly greater than what we usually expect. Daytime highs and nighttime lows have been a few degrees warmer than normal and as a result, have extended the butterfly season across our area. Butterflies that both hibernate and migrate are still being observed and a couple happen to be records when it comes to late in the year sightings.
Butterflies are cold blooded creatures, meaning they lack the internal capabilities of keeping their bodies at a constant temperature. In order to become active and fly, they require an outside source to warm their bodies. This source is often the sun. Late this past week saw sunny skies and highs in the mid to upper teens, producing some nice butterfly activity.
A record late Milbert’s Tortoiseshell was also observed this past week.
In order to survive our cold winter, butterflies either hibernate or migrate depending on the species. Hibernation can occur at various stages in their life cycle. Some hibernate as adults, while others hibernate as eggs, larvae, or pupa. As is the case with other hibernating animals, butterflies remain dormant throughout the winter months using very little energy, emerging in the spring when temperatures rise. Monarch Butterflies are well known migrators, as they travel thousands of kilometers in the fall to Mexico, where they overwinter.
According to local records, late sightings were recorded for two species this past week. On October 22, a Milbert’s Tortoiseshell, a species that hibernates as an adult, was reported by a gentleman working in his garden. On October 23, I was happy to report my record sighting of a Painted Lady, a species that migrates, observed in my backyard. The previous record for the Painted Lady was October 21. One day later, I discovered another Painted Lady while walking at Fanshawe Conservation area, breaking my previous day’s record.
Monarch Butterflies are still present in our region. The latest record for them in our area is November 5.
With temperatures expected to remain warm for the next week, more record sightings are quite possible. Butterflies that were still present this past week that are approaching record late observations include: Eastern Comma, Monarch and Cabbage White. The records for these three are October 29, November 5, and November 8 respectively. Check open meadows while out hiking and be observant in your own yard. If you are doing fall yard clean up, be sure to leave any late blooming flowers as lingering butterflies may be attracted to them as a nectar source. If you do happen to come across any of these species, please report them to the group.
Rayner Gardens features several gardens containing annuals, perennials, native trees and a reflecting pond stocked with goldfish.
Located in the city’s west end lies a butterfly enthusiasts dream. Loaded with a variety of annuals and perennials, the gardens at Elmo W. Curtis and Rayner Gardens are in full bloom right now and loaded with butterflies. Located at the corner of Springbank Drive and Wonderland Road, these conjoined parks are often referred to as the rose gardens. Admission is free and parking is available off Springbank Drive or Wonderland Road. These gardens can also be accessed on foot from the Maurice Chapman Walkway if you happen to be walking between Springbank and Greenway Parks. The area features several gardens, arbours with hanging baskets, benches, native trees and a reflecting pond. The grounds are meticulously maintained, making it a popular summer place for wedding parties to be photographed.
This Monarch Butterfly was one of several feeding on the nectar from an Echinacea flower.Eastern Tiger Swallowtail ButterflyRed Admiral ButterflyRed-spotted Purple Butterfly
On a recent visit, butterflies of all sizes and colours were present. Monarchs, Swallowtails, Red-spotted Purple, Red Admiral, as well as Cabbage White and Clouded Sulphur were all seen. Smaller specimens such as Skippers and Hairstreaks were also observed. Many of the gardens feature flowers of the genus Echinacea which were drawing these butterflies to their nectar.
Not to be outdone by the beauty of the butterflies, this American Goldfinch struck a pose.
These gardens also attract birds and several species were seen on this day. American Goldfinches could be seen feeding on the various flowers that had gone to seed. Northern Cardinals, Bluejays, Woodpeckers, and Black-capped Chickadees were also present. A juvenile Red-tailed Hawk screeched as it few overhead. Although none were seen on this particular visit, Ruby-throated Hummingbird likely are drawn to the array of flowers. Several mammal species were seen including the Eastern Grey Squirrel, Eastern Chipmunk, and Eastern Cottontail.
Next time you find yourself in this part of town, stop in and check out the beautiful gardens and the incredible nature that calls Rayner Gardens home.
