A few butterflies

I've been spending a bit more time focusing on butterflies instead of odes recently, and have had some success. Here's a few recent shots:

Two-spotted Skippers (left) are uncommon in Algonquin, but can be reasonable easy to find in sedge meadows. Long Dash Skippers (right) are very abundant in wet areas, although numbers are starting to decline in the last week.

Accidentally introduced to London, Ontario in the early 1900s, European Skipper is now extraordinarily abundant in the province.

Delaware Skipper has always been considered very rare in Algonquin Park, but a recent visit to an area near the southeast corner of the park revealed them to be reasonably common. They may have been overlooked, or like other southern species they may be increasing at our latitude.

After being very rare last year, it is somewhat reassuring that Monarchs seem once again to be reasonably common in the park this year.

I have been seeing Banded Hairstreaks quite regularly around the Visitor Centre, but there is one less now that this crab spider has had it's way! Note the tiny male riding around on the larger female.