Thursday, December 10, 2020

Chasing Butterflies

Admiration for butterflies has long been my hobby. That is coupled with taking their photos whenever time allows. This hobby will not be complete without the other, as the fulfillment of being a butterfly hobbyist is having a lot of their photographs stored in your files. Some good shots are made into the owner's screen saver and others even have their favorite shots printed and laid in picture frames. Sometimes, a nice picture even makes a lovely greeting card for some friends. The possibilities of using butterfly pictures are endless, and fans range from children to the children once.

Other people with entrepreneurial inklings raise butterflies for sale, and even for export. These days, weddings, thanksgivings, birthdays, baptisms, anniversaries, you name it, and many affairs use butterflies as symbols of happiness. They release the butterflies at specific moment in the program to commemorate whatever theme they are celebrating. Release of butterflies can even signify many meanings, but mostly freedom, peace, tranquility, beauty, forgiveness, accomplishment, Every symbol for butterfly release denotes positive meanings, just as the flapping of the wings signify.

   

LIME BUTTERFLY, Papilio demoleus demoleus' COMMON MORMON Menelaides polytes ledebouria

My fondness for butterflies give an extra meaning for me. I chase them, photograph them in my garden, in our vicinity and in some undomesticated areas with the hope of documenting all the Species Total Count in our town. The happiness of finding one species not yet in the original list gives a certain high, a certain euphoria that might not be relatable for other people. I hope to publish the species photos in a book, but if it will not materialize, then at least others will find them in any other forms, when my curtain closes. At the least they are included in the website of Philippine Lepidoptera. I have them tabulated in matrix, alphabetically arranged with corresponding host plants for their larvae. They are all real as they are from my personal observations.


DARK BLUE TIGER, Tirumala hamata orientalis


LEMON PANSY, Junonia lemonias janome

 
\Those are just examples of pictures i recently took from the garden.  Since the pandemic i have not gone out of the house for any butterfly chasing in the vicinity. At least i have nectar plants intentionally planted to lure them in. And gardening for butterflies is another story.



PALE AWLET, Bibasis gomata lorquini



GLASSY TIGER, Parantica vitrina vitrina

Post Script: I have lots and lots of butterfly pphotos, but blogging after more than a year of not posting gave me lots of difficulties in picture layout. Oh My God i behave like the first time in 2008 when i did my first post. I hope i still regain my patience of repeatedly previewing, editing again and again. My finished post here is not to the best of my liking, but ....here it is, a new beginning!






7 comments:

  1. Beautiful shots of butterflies ! Butterflies are best pollinators of the Flowering plants and helps preserve Flowering species .I had started a link up party pertaining to garden activities. It would be my pleasure if you join my link up party related to gardening here at http://jaipurgardening.blogspot.com/2020/12/garden-affair-painting-earthen-pots.html

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  2. Hi Andrea. Glad to see you back blogging. I look forward to seeing more posts about the butterflies you see.

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    1. Thanks very much Nick, i appreciate that even if i stopped blogging for one year you are still there supporting my posts. Merry Christmas.

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  3. Andrea - welcome back to blogging! Gorgeous butterflies! I think the Pale Awlet is my favorite.

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    1. Haha yes, i am back but found it difficult to format uploading pictures again as if it is again my first time. Facebook and social media groups are so time consuming but keep people in touch. However, it kept me out from blogging. Thanks for dropping by still.

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  4. It's one of my favorite hobbies, too, Andrea. Your captures are magical! Thanks so much for sharing. :)

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  5. Hi Beth, i really am so happy that despite my long absence some of my previous blogging friends like you are still here keeping me company. I hope i can keep up posting. Merry Christmas.

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Your visits and comments are the life of this site. I certainly appreciate them and I will make sure to return the favor. Energies are not destroyed, they are just transformed, so healthy energies be with us all, just like the breath of life!

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