Bugs

Floyd Bennett Field Butterflies

September 14, 2010 by Corey 3 Comments

Long have I heard the members of the New York City Butterfly Club extol the virtues of Floyd Bennett Field in terms of the amazing array of Lepidoptera one can track down there if one is so inclined.  On a recent visit with some birders I took time out from prowling the rows of the Community Garden and looking for skulking birds in order to focus both my eyes and my camera lens on the beautiful butterflies coming to feed on the abundant bounty of buddleja, better known as butterfly bush.

While I didn’t manage to identify or photograph any rare butterflies I was pretty pleased with the shots that I did get.  Butterflies focused on refueling from butterfly bush don’t pay much attention to a guy with a macro lens!

First up, several shots of American Lady Vanessa virginiensis.

Next up, Black Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes.

Of course, this time of year there are always Monarchs Danaus plexippus moving through.

And near the coast Common Buckeye Junonia coenia should be easy to see as well.

Though this one was spotted at nearby Fort Tilden I feel that I would be remiss if I did not include this gorgeous Eastern Comma Polygonia comma.

Finally, the most drab butterfly of the day but the one that, of course, let me get the best shots, Sachem Atalopedes campestris.

Written by Corey
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.