When this little butterfly flew by me last Friday at Prince William Forest Park, it looked like a nondescript brown moth. Fortunately it landed on some nearby vegetation and I was able to zoom in on it. Wow—what an amazing variety of colors, textures, and markings on this tiny butterfly. I was able to determine that it was a Henry’s Elfin butterfly (Callophrys henrici).
I was pretty sure that I had never seen a butterfly like this until I searched my blog and discovered that I had seen one last spring on almost the same date. I don’t think that I’m losing my memory yet, but I keep filling my head with so much information that it is almost inevitable that I will forget some things.
There is something so whimsical about the word “elfin” that I can’t help but smile whenever I use it. I love the idea of magical creatures like elves and nymphs, drawn from the works of Shakespeare or perhaps from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. These creatures blend in so well with their surroundings that you have to look carefully to spot them and I should warn you that you may become blissfully enchanted by them.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 