Bluebirds at Sunset

I wasn't expecting rain today, but it rained just before my scheduled lunch break.  I decided to risk a walk at Breakneck Hill Conservation Land anyway, as then it was only threatening.  I took along a food storage bag to drop my camera into in case it rained again.

Great Spangled Fritillary

Banded Hairstreak

Little Glassywing

Black Swallowtail (female)

This is such a spectacular butterfly that I wanted to get another photo of it from the side view.  Too bad I cut off a bit of its tail, but it was extremely windy and the clover was blowing in the wind.  Made photography very challenging.

Yellow Wild Indigo (native)

Clouded Sulphur

Indigo Bunting

(I counted 4 different males singing around the property)

Cabbage Whites

While this last photo may not look very pleasing, it shows some interesting butterfly behavior.  The female (on the left with two spots on each wing) is in "mate refusal posture":  her wings are spread, and her abdomen is pointed up.  This occurs automatically, and is not an option available to the female.  

Also of interest is that these Cabbage Whites send and receive ultraviolet signals to communicate with each other regarding mating.  Ultraviolet signals are sent by the female using ultraviolet reflection portions of her ventral wings.  Males receive the ultraviolet signals with a special photoreceptor pigment in his eyes.   In the above photo, where the female is refusing the male's advances, she has spread herself out flat which leaves only the dorsal wings exposed and shuts off any ultraviolet signals which could otherwise have been sent from her ventral wings.  Who knew????

I had to head over to Wayland after work, so I thought I might try to catch the sunset at Mass Audubon's Drumlin Farm.  I climbed the drumlin and waited it out.  It was quite beautiful, and several bluebirds kept me company during my visit (although only the male cooperated for photos).

Eastern Bluebird (juvenile)

in the parking area (marked with orange cones) 

The bluebirds appear to be putting these orange cones to use for an entirely different purpose.