The thistles in bloom must have been absolutely irresistible to butterflies on Saturday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I was delighted to spot an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus) and a Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly (Speyeria cybele) feeding almost side-by-side at a small patch of thistle plants.
I love the color combinations in these shots that contrast the warmer tones of the butterflies with the cooler colors of the flowers and the background. I also really like the texture of the thistles that appear to be hard and thorny, but are actually quite soft to the touch.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Two of my favorite butterflies in one post! Very nice.
Thanks. I have seen lots of Eastern Tiger Swallowtails this summer, but these were my first Spangled Fritillaries of the year. They are both a delight to see.
I love the pop of color in that first photo, Mike.
Butterflies and thistles are such great combination in colour, texture, patterns. I really like this, Mike.
Thanks, Chris. We are in the summer doldrums here, with an endless cycle of hot, humid weather. I love seeing the bright colors of the thistle and the butterflies–I would have thought that pink and orange would clash in a photo, but somehow it seems to work ok.
Very nice butterfly images Mike!
Twoo beauties, lovely shots and thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Rudi.
The Thistle looks great in these shots 😃😃
Thanks, Ted. The thistle has such a fascinating look to it that I love to photograph, even when there are no butterflies present.
Both photos are spectacular Mike. The details in your close-ups always thrill me, and with these two thistle photos it is the thread-like textures. The thistle flowers as well as the leaves and the butterfly legs and proboscis. Truly a joy.
Thanks, Jet. I too love the details–it is one of the reasons why I fell in love with macro photography and the new world that it opens up. Sometimes I am merely trying to highlight the beauty that surrounds us and cause people to search for it themselves. More often, though, I try to show the viewers some of the details that they might not see with their naked eye. 🙂
Wonderful images of these beauties on the thistle, Mike! The thistle blooms themselves are quite intriguing and I’ll confess I’ve never touched one to know they are soft. Your composition with the swallowtail is especially pleasing.
Thanks, Ellen. The swallowtail composition is definitely my favorite of the two because it is simple and uncluttered. In my mind, minimalism is a virtue in composition, though, of course, that is often not achievable when shooting in the wild as we both do.
I often find myself thinking directions for them…move to the left, next flower over is better, up a little… of course that rarely plays out!
I use the same kind of telepathic commands and probably have about the same amount of success as you do. I often find myself looking at perches and thinking it would be a great place for a butterfly or dragonfly to perch, but, alas, they so rarely cooperate with my posing desires.
Wow. So beautiful. Thank you for sharing, Mike.
Thanks, Tricia.
The butterfly can enjoy the thistle without getting stuck with sharp little thorns. Lucky!
Indeed they are lucky. I often end up with scratches when I am chasing my wildlife subjects. 🙂
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