Recent taxonomic revisions split the North American "giant swallowtail" into two distinct species based on DNA barcoding, genital morphology, and wing patterns. Western populations are now classified as the Western Giant Swallowtail (Papilio rumiko), while eastern populations remain the Eastern Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes). I'm very reluctant to notate that change in previous posts.
These butterflies are so hyper you would think that Erythroxylum coca is their native plant. This is a female. I wanted to make a settings change to prioritize my shutter speed but everything moved too fast and then she was gone.
This song popped into my head while replying to comments yesterday, now it's on a loop every time I see a butterfly.
While I was engaged in having brunch at my desk, she was hanging outside my windows on this butterfly bush. She did one full rotation around this plume and then she was off. I'm only about 80% confident it's a female.
The Gulf fritillary or passion butterfly (Dione vanillae or Agraulis vanillae in other taxonomies). An all-time favorite for the phenomenal difference between the dorsal and ventral view. Truly two butterflies in one.
Yesterday's and today's walks were pretty much the same, both in the territory I covered and the intentions I had. Physically, my intentions were to test the vertigo situation my right inner ear has been tripping on since a week ago Thursday. The only other walk this week was last Thursday, 5/21. I went 1.64 miles and I did okay, moving about cautiously. I think more than any actual BPPV action, there was the anticipation of such. However, up until today, Sunday, May 24th, I've been navigating with a mildly altered gravitational pull. Today was a breakthrough. Despite having experience with this malady, on rare occasions since a severe event in 2008, I had no idea it could last this long. Anyway, much better today. Yesterday was another story.
Saturday, May 23rd.
My photographic intentions were to look for hummingbirds or birds in general, but I specifically felt like getting some hummingbird shots. I saw a total of three hummingbirds, and none of them were cooperating. Switching gears and taking pictures with a 70-300mm lens and a close-up lens on top had my balance operating a bit off-kilter. Here are some pictures taken yesterday.
Female house finch on a leaky Rain Bird. There were two, another was on that lower pipe. I was too slow.
There will be several images of stuff I've presented before. Every picture has it's own uniqueness. In the end, photographing the familiar is not about repetition, it's an intimate meditation on time. Besides, I was just trying to stand up straight.
Iris germanica 'Immortality'. There are a lot more of these plants than there were last year.
Once I saw the common name for this flower I will never unsee it. Bat-faced cuphea (Cuphea-llavea).
Indian blanket.
Echinacea purpurea, commonly known as the Purple Coneflower.
A newly renovated ground squirrel lair. Please don't ever come to my house, okay?
Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia) and palms. Certain palm trees, particularly the Mexican fan palm (Washingtonia robusta), have escaped urban landscapes and are classified as invasive in Southern California. Growing up I never saw palms sprouting up like grass. This is climate change.
Canna lilies.
Sunday, May 24th (today).
Getting up this morning and the mad dance for coffee, morning meds and to deal with kitties, there was not a hint of my semicircular canals trying to recalibrate my internal gyroscope.
Here are some pictures taken today. I intentionally went to some of the same spots where my balance was at issue yesterday.
This was a two image focus stack. That was part of my self-imposed challenge, multiple focus areas on the same subject. Bat-faced cuphea.
Verbena bonariensis. A little too much chromatic aberration and I think that might be partly due to the recent cheesy $9 UV filter but I've used cheesy $9 (or less) filters for decades. Nevertheless, I need to check that out in the backyard some time soon. I'm reluctant to remove the filter for reasons shown here. Chromatic aberration is also inherent to using the zoom lens with a close-up lens. Especially this close.
Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus, AKA, Lemon day lilies.
Coreopsis, Double Sun.
Salvia microphylla, Hot Lips.
Scabiosa columbaria, Pincushion Flower.
Lavender Trumpet Vine (Clytostoma-callistegioides). I wasn't especially enamored with this photo until I saw the tiny spider. Hint: First click the image to make it larger and then look at the bottom edge of the lowest petal.
Stokesia laevis.
Hydrangea.
From this point I walked over to the campus botanical garden, once again in search of hummingbirds. One issue this morning was the weather. When I left the house it was lightly sprinkling. It was also only 57º to 59º F for the duration of my walk. A little cold for hummingbird action. I found that a bit nippy myself, dressed in a t-shirt. I saw one male Calypte anna and he went off chasing after a sparrow or a house finch.
The flowering on the Chaste Tree (botanically known as Vitex agnus-castus) has intensified. The plant got its unique moniker from the ancient belief that its berries and leaves suppressed sexual desire. Athenian women supposedly placed the leaves under their beds to help them remain pure during religious festivals, and medieval monks historically chewed them (hence the nickname "Monk's Pepper") to help maintain their vows of celibacy. People believe all sorts of nonsense, even to this day. It's absolutely amazing.
As I was walking to the garden I witnessed a common raven and a red-tailed hawk going at it. Actually, as always, the raven was the territorial aggressor. I took photos but with the May gray and due to the distance away, they weren't worth including here. As I was heading back to my car I ran into this fellow and I do believe it was the raven in question. We chatted a bit and then I was on my way.
Do not suffer through the game of chance that plays Always doors to lock away your dreams Think it over, time will heal your fear, think it over Balance the thoughts that release within you...
In lieu of a walk report, I've been planning to pull up a chair in my backyard, sit with my camera, music on my head, and wait for butterflies. I did walk on Saturday, and it was brief, 2km (that's 1.24 miles). Basically, I planned on making the effort to do at least a mile but to keep myself in check and not push things. It was therapy, both physically and mentally.
Thursday evening, I was abruptly woken at 2:10 a.m. with my head in a dizzying waltz as the ceiling and walls became a kaleidoscope. At least the experience was familiar so I didn't panic. Although this has not happened, at least not to any memorable degree, for over 10 years. I was having a BPPV event. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is an inner ear problem that causes brief, sudden episodes of vertigo triggered by head movements. It happens when tiny calcium crystals (otoconia) break loose and float into the wrong part of the inner ear. It's much better now, but I’m still a little off and cautious. There are exercises for this. This particular event, is the longest I've ever had to deal with it. It pretty much just sucks, it's like riding a violently aggressive, non-consensual carnival ride.
So... I sat in a chair and took pictures of two monarch butterflies today. I just saw out the window that at least one of them is still fluttering about. The only problem with the chair was having to get up from time to time. One doesn't simply get up; one focuses in front of them and thinks about getting up. The other thing was the butterflies constantly circling overhead. They spent more time doing that than they did landing on plants. For a while, I started to think they may have been mocking me.
Here are some images taken today, May 18th.
Speaking of mocking, this mockingbird was singing constantly during my first round with the butterflies (I went out twice). I finally decided to switch the camera to video mode and record some of it. Of course he stopped just as I raised the camera. Yes. this is a male.
Session number two...
The mockingbird was still up by the power lines but I wasn't playing his game.
The last two shots on bougainvillea. I named her, Lizzy.
