Natures Raw Beauty

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Some sights in nature just need to be seen. I can’t explain the beauty but this photo is an attempt to capture nature and share it.. Stunning, raw and and so cool.

A side note: I received an email with a link to this article about How to Grow and Care for Butterfly Weed. This is not a sponsored link. I’m just sharing for those that want more butterflies in their garden.

~ Rick

Rick’s latest technology muse:

Check out our vlog, which includes more pictures and video on YouTube at tales.photos. Remember to subscribe!

Prints are available for many of the photos on this site on canvas, metal or glass. Contact Rick for more information.

©2019 ©2020 Rick Cartwright

Fooled You?

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I have share this information before. Actually, I think I share it every summer.

I love to photograph birds, but I equally enjoy capturing photos of butterflies. This butterfly is one of the wonders of nature, and I can’t help talking about it. I photographed the first beautiful butterfly earlier this past week. It is a Viceroy. If you observe this butterfly while on a hike, you will likely think you have seen a Monarch Butterfly. It is easy to mistake this species for a Monarch.

The second photo is of a Monarch butterfly. These two look so much alike. What is the difference?

  • If you watch both of these fly, you will notice that they have a very different flying pattern. The Monarch has a more random, slow flight patern. They seem to ‘float’ more (sorry, I don’t have a good term for this). The Viceroy is faster, and more direct.
  • The Viceroy tend to be smaller than the Monarch.
  • Lastly, there is this difference in the wings that you can’t miss. The Viceroy has this extra ‘line’ (see the marked up photo).

So, next time you see a beautiful Monarch, take a closer look!!. Happy butterflying.

~ Rick

A late add: If you are interested in attracting more Monarch to your yard / garden check out this link: How to Grow and Care for Butterfly Weed

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Rick’s latest technology muse:

Check out our vlog, which includes more pictures and video on YouTube at tales.photos. Remember to subscribe!

Prints are available for many of the photos on this site on canvas, metal or glass. Contact Rick for more information.

©2019 ©2020 Rick Cartwright

The Monarch: They Are Back

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This past Monday I was doing yard work when I saw a Monarch flying across our yard. It was the first one I have seen this summer. I wanted a photo badly, but I was not able to get one .. I mean, I was cutting the grass and did not have my camera.

That excited me. I have been watching for the return of the Monarchs for a while, and this was a welcome sighting. We started going to our favorite sites to see them and on Wednesday I capture this photo. I have seen a couple, but this was the first photo of one this year. I am so, so excited.

I have been concerned about the status of the Monarch butterfly since I read this tweet in March:

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It appear to be a real issue. Read more about the monarch butterfly defender and his death here.

~ Rick

Rick’s latest technology muse:

Check out our vlog, which includes more pictures and video on YouTube at tales.photos. Remember to subscribe!

Prints are available for many of the photos on this site on canvas, metal or glass. Contact Rick for more information.

©2019 ©2020 Rick Cartwright

Monarch In The Making …

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Teresa capture this photograph of a monarch caterpillar while we were hiking this week. The caterpillar eats the milkweed, but the butterfly doesn’t. Here is the inside story on this amazing bond:

”You see, the latex-based sap produced by milkweed plants contains toxic compounds called cardenolides. Most other insects, save for a handful of species, can’t digest these toxins; it kills them or they avoid it all together due to its foul taste. But monarch caterpillars actually absorb these toxins as they feed on milkweed leaves, rendering the caterpillars themselves toxic to potential predators. The toxins found in the monarch butterfly host plant actually help protect the caterpillars and adult butterflies from birds and other predators.” (Source: The monarch butterfly host plant: Milkweeds ...)

And now you know ...

We hiked this week .. here is our latest video .. enjoy.

~ Rick

Rick’s latest technology muse:

Check out our vlog, which includes more pictures and video on YouTube at tales.photos. Remember to subscribe!

Prints are available for many of the photos on this site on canvas, metal or glass. They are stunning and you can purchase them for a wall at home. Click the link or the ‘prints and such’ tab.

©2019 Rick Cartwright

Natures Imposter?

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This is not what you think. At first glance, you may think it is a Monarch. Well, it’s not. This is a Viceroy). What is the difference?

There are a few noticeable differences, but the big one is the ‘lines’ in the wings. The Viceroy has a line that runs perpendicular to the rest of the lines in the wing. (see the photo to the right.)

The Viceroy Buttefly

The Viceroy Buttefly

The Monarch Butterful

The Monarch Butterful

This is a photo of a Monarch that I took a couple days ago. Noice the difference? There are some other interesting differences.

  • The Viceroy is usually smaller. They are still a larger butterfly, but just not as large as the Monarch.

  • The Viceroy tends to fly more direct and faster. You have to watch them to understand this, but its true.

There are other differences, but I’m not going to discuss them in this blog post. The fact is, they are beautiful creatures .. both of them. Just enjoy their beauty.

Rick’s latest technology muse:

Check out our vlog, which includes more pictures and video on YouTube at tales.photos. Remember to subscribe!

Prints are available for many of the photos on this site on canvas, metal or glass. They are stunning and you can purchase them for a wall at home. Click the link or the ‘prints and such’ tab.

©2019 Rick Cartwright