Hiking up to 11,000 feet is tough even for humans. So I am in awe of the alpine butterflies who soar over windy ridges and saddles above treeline, casually fluttering and looking just as colorful and no worse for the wear from their incredible journey. Last week in Yosemite I hiked to a saddle in Gaylor Lakes basin at 11,200 feet and observed an entire rainbow of butterflies on my journey. And at the top, this beautiful Ainse swallowtail butterfly flew by—the wind made it hard to hold my camera but this little creature barely flinched. These alpine butterflies are amazing.
Comet Neowise from the Sierra Foothills
My home in the foothills outside Yosemite affords me both a great western view and liminal light pollution, which makes for incredible star-gazing opportunities. I took this photo of Comet Neowise and the Big Dipper tonight from my front yard.
I am going to miss Comet Neowise when it vanishes from view. For me, something about this beautiful celestial object paying us a visit created some hope in these challenging times. Cyril Christo wrote a thoughtful essay on this theme for The Hill.
"This is a once in a lifetime gift, this supervening celestial body, with flaming tail streaming from another dimension, this Neowise comet flying by the Earth and a chastened human species looking for answers to this fragile, maddening time... Neowise is an enormous sentinel to a beleaguered species. Saving the Earth and making a living can go hand in hand. We have to be able to discern the vast difference between reality and the fantasy many of us in America have not been able to distinguish. We are not starring in a science fiction movie. Society needs to become visionary to salvage the beauty of what remains on Earth before it becomes uninhabitable like Mars presently is. A beauty we have to salvage before Nature vanishes before our eyes. "
A Visit from a Northern Pygmy Owl
I had this little Northern pygmy owl say hello this morning. I hear them, but don't often get to see my owl neighbors. What a treat!
Rare Yosemite Butterfly
I am so excited! I think this is a Chryxus Arctic I spotted at almost 12000 feet on the Dana Plateau today. It’s a threatened species and “rare and patchy” in the Sierra Nevada according to Yosemite Butterflies.
The Many Faces of Petey the Pika
Last year I met such a character of a pika—he came out to greet me on my weekly visits. This year, when I surveyed the site for the first time, I was overjoyed to see that Petey (as I named him) appears to have made it through the winter, based on territory, photographic comparison, and his bold and goofy personality. Stay tuned for summer reports on Petey’s adventures.
