Last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge I managed to photograph this beautiful little Gray Hairstreak butterfly (Strymon melinus) as it was feeding on a flowering goldenrod plant. If you double click on the image you can see the extended proboscis, a hollow tube that the butterfly uses to suck in the nectar from the flowers. I was delighted also that I was able to capture tiny details, like the little tails of the hind wings and the colorful markings.
Many of the larger butterflies seem to be disappearing as we move deeper into autumn, but quite a few of these smaller butterflies are still active in my area.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
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