The butterflies were out in abundance -- I stood in a single spot and saw at least three different species flitting around. There was this Spicebush Swallowtail:
A Red Admiral:
And a small group of what I think were Pearl Crescents, with the undersides of their wings just as beautiful as the tops:
And a bunch of these grasshoppers (I don't know the exact species) buzzed around my feet every time I took a step:
It was a good day for flowers as well. The Pearl Crescent in the pictures above is on a blackberry flower, and these flowers nearby look to be some sort of raspberry:
This funky plant is Indian Cucumber Root -- its flowers are quite small and easy to overlook, with green petals blending in with the rest of the forest floor, but I think they're rather beautiful (the second picture gives a closer view):
Finally, this stand of Harlequin Blueflag (Iris versicolor) growing on the water's edge was producing some stunning flowers:
And with that, I'm off on another adventure! Tomorrow we leave for New Jersey, and from there it's Copenhagen for a day and Norway for five. So I won't be making any posts for about a week -- but I imagine I will have things to share when I return! :D
