I’ve been wanting to do this since I got here, but my knee hasn’t. My left knee has been pretty sore since I left South Dakota but is slowly getting better. Today, I tested it out on Alamo Canyon, and it did fine. The park biologist, Danny Martin, told me he had seen some good butterflies there this summer, including Tropical Leafwings and Zilpa Longtails. The Zilpa Longtail would have been a lifer, but I couldn’t find any today. Probably getting too late in the season, but there were still some Tropical Leafwings, and I was very happy to get the best photos I have ever taken of that species. I saw some Tropical Leafwings years ago at Miller Canyon but had poor luck photographing them.
A Tropical Leafwing, finally posing the way I needed it to. They have a strong tendency to land, fold their wings, and face directly toward or away from me. After many failed attempts I finally got this one in a decent position, with the sun behind me. This species is very similar to the Goatweed Butterfly, but has a small tooth below that larger tooth and above the lower corner of the wing. Then, miracle of miracles, it opened the wings up and I got just a few shots before it flew off again. The wing pattern is that of a male. I found this Sonoran Collared Lizard basking on a rock; I don’t remember ever seeing one this late in the season. A couple of days ago I was hiking off Pipeline Road when I found what I believe is a metate, a grinding rock used by Native Americans. It was the only large rock in the area and the flat, slightly concave surface makes it a likely metate. The latest big excitement at Lake Ajo, a Surf Scoter. Jupiter is now rising up over 50 degrees above the horizon, the highest altitude I’ve been image it since I started doing this. The higher altitude helps get it out of the murk and turbulence of the atmosphere. I tried it a few nights ago despite only average “seeing” conditions. I took 6 three-minute videos and stacked the best frames. Expect more Jupiter images in the near future!
3 replies on “A Hike up Alamo Canyon”
The patterning on the butterfly’s closed wings is amazing. Even its eyes! I was surprised to see that its body was hairy.
Yes, the Canon 100-400 lens is very sharp and will close focus to 3 ft, it is as good as carrying a macro lens and a telephoto at the same time.
I love the Tropical Leafwing, very nice that it opened its wings.
3 replies on “A Hike up Alamo Canyon”
The patterning on the butterfly’s closed wings is amazing. Even its eyes! I was surprised to see that its body was hairy.
Yes, the Canon 100-400 lens is very sharp and will close focus to 3 ft, it is as good as carrying a macro lens and a telephoto at the same time.
I love the Tropical Leafwing, very nice that it opened its wings.