Sickle-winged Skipper, Falcon Dam State Park
I HEARD THIS LINE VERY RECENTLY and it made me think of the way I have to identify many unfamiliar butterflies these days (and a few birds too). I can't see anything wrong with this as it leads to fewer mistakes and with so many butterflies around at the lovely butterfly garden at Falcon Dam State Park and so little time to study them it seemed my best option. Some of the Texan skippers look superficially Metalmark-like to me that it took me some time to find Sickle-winged in the book (nod to Kenn Kaufman for keeping me on the right track!).
Large Orange Sulphur - there are some spectacular sulphurs in the valley!
It was impossible to miss the many beautiful and colourful butterflies in the valley this year and to quote Greg Neise 'There were so many butterflies in the air that it was difficult to scan for raptors at times'. Now that is something! I did not devote nearly as much time as I would have liked to looking at butterflies this year so I am hoping to attend the Texas Butterfly Festival in Harlingen next time, which is immediately before the birding festival 1-4 November 2014... and hopefully to photograph the unspeakably beautiful Mexican Bluewing.
Southern Skipperling = scientific name minima, the smallest of the lot!