Butterflies in the High Chiricahuas

After this evening's community meeting about the Horseshoe Fire, I'll post another fire update here. It has spread only a little since the last update, and most of the recent burning has been in the interior of the new burn.

Noel, Fran and Dick up to their ears in iris at Barfoot Park

(Photos by Narca)

On Sunday I journeyed into the high Chiricahuas with Dick and Fran Zweifel and Noel Snyder to see what beautiful bugs might be flying. The iris-filled meadows of Barfoot and Rustler Parks were drawing in Western Tiger Swallowtails, Silver-spotted Skippers, Gray Hairstreaks, and a variety of sulphurs and blues, including this Acmon Blue.

Acmon Blue

Mylitta Crescents were courting.

Mylitta Crescent

East Turkey Creek is still flowing strongly, its margins abloom with Golden Columbine and Fendler's Monkeyflower. Here a Nais Metalmark (quite rare in the Chiricahuas) was chasing ladybugs away from a patch of Ceanothus shrubs. I was only able to get a poor photo of this beauty, but here it is:

Nais Metalmark

Golden Columbine, Aquilegia chrysantha