Red-banded Hairstreak Butterfly

All posts tagged Red-banded Hairstreak Butterfly

Colorful Butterflies return to the Rainforest

Posted by Lee Hiller on April 27, 2015
Posted in: Hot Springs National Park. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 5 Comments

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Last year Butterflies were scarce in Hot Springs National Park.  Many friends throughout the country also reported seeing less insects including Butterflies in 2014.  Nature is resilient if we give her space to breathe and recover from human devastation.  It has been a blessing to see colorful wings in 2015.

Please be thoughtful in how you protect your plants by avoiding chemical pesticides in favor of interspersing repelling plants. Also a mix of garlic and cayenne makes a great plant spray.

Love to ALL!
Lee

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Happy Earth Day 2015! Springs Trails, Fungus, Butterflies and Wildflowers

Posted by Lee Hiller on April 22, 2015
Posted in: Hot Springs National Park. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

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Happy Earth Day from Hot Springs National Park.  Last year Butterflies in the park were scarce.  This spring however they have returned to feed off the abundant Tree pollen coating the leaves.  Colorful Wildflowers are blossoming and Gilled Fungi are rising up from the Forest floor.  Vibrant greenery on each trail heralds a return of the Spring Rainforest.

Love to ALL!
Lee

Spring Hike Filled with Colorful Wildflowers and Insects

Posted by Lee Hiller on April 20, 2011
Posted in: Hot Springs National Park. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 6 Comments

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There is a string of thunder storms heading for your area, what would you do??? a) prepare for the storm or b) head out for a hike before they arrive.  I head quickly into the park and up the Dead Chief and Short Cuts Trails to reach the top of Hot Springs Mountain.  I am surprised how green the Forest has become in the past few days.  The transformation is magical and I feel as if I am hiking on new trails.

The Hot Springs Mountain Trail edges are a colorful display.  Perched above the trail on long stalks are purple, fuchsia and pink Spiderwort.  Spectacular bouquets from Nature. Further up the trail a Black Swallowtail Butterfly sails over the last of the Spring beauty Wildflowers. The flash of aqua at the bottom of it’s wings is striking in contrast to black dominating the rest of the wings and body.

As the weather begins to change I decided to head directly down the Mountain.  As I am leaving the park I noticed a field of Wildflowers is alive with beautiful spring insects. Both yellow and black Swallowtail Butterflies are flitting frantically from bloom to bloom.  A Clearwing Hummingbird Moth is hovering within the stalks of fluted blossoms in competition with a Carpenter Bee. As I near the park gates an Eastern Comma Butterfly flashes its glorious orange wings against the bright green foliage.

Home safe I type this as the Thunder of Lightning is echoing through the Mountains of Hot Springs National Park.

Love to You ALL!
Lee