I have been seeing little brown butterflies (or moths) flitting about in the woods recently, but have not gotten a good look at any of them, so I was thrilled when a Little Wood Satyr butterfly (Megisto cymela) landed on a nearby leaf this past Monday and remained long enough for me to get some shots.
I am not a hundred percent certain of my identification, because there are a lot of similar butterflies and the distinctions seem pretty subtle to me at the moment. Please let me know if you can identify this little butterfly with greater precision.
This is another photo in which I took the time to use my tripod and to focus carefully, shooting at a focal length just short of 400mm. The focus is a little soft, particularly for the leaf, but I think that it helps to give the image a kind of dreamy feel, though it’s a little early for a midsummer night’s dream.
Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved
Mike Powell 
I’m almost certain you’re right on the ID as a Little Wood-Satyr, Mike. Looks just like the picture in Glassberg’s “Butterflies of North America” – has another large eyespot on the forewing you can’t see in your picture. To verify it, you could submit it to butterfliesandmoths.org, which has nailed down a few questions for me.
I also like the background. Nicely done.
Mike, Absolutely beautiful shot. This is one of your best.
Thanks. It really was a case of being able to take advantage of the situation that presented itself, which is often the case with wildlife photography.
And you did, looking forward to see more of them.
When I see butterflies it seems they are always in glaring, harsh sunlight. The lighting looks like it was perfect for this shot.