Camera Critters - Spring Azure

Ok, it's official. I am ready for spring! Now don't misunderstand me, I still love winter. And one of the best things about winter is that it eventually releases its icy grip on my garden and gives way to green, new growth. With my snowdrops finally blooming, and the tips of the daffodils poking up through the mulch, I am eager for sun-kissed warmth and color.

So no wintry scenes today of my backyard. No, today, I decided to share a photo I took last spring when my husband and I were in the midst of a large landscaping project.



After spending one whole day helping him roll up the sod, it was time for the "heavy work." I was supposed to be taking photos of the progress while I supervised, (mud where grass used to be, him on the bobcat, new boulders being shoved into position, tree-planting, etc.) Well, I noticed that this little blue butterfly kept landing in the muddy grass.



Now, I don't have ADD, it's just that standing around between the times when my opinion was needed was getting kinda boring. My end of the conversation went a little something like this: "Yes, Honey, I got a shot of that boulder. Yes, I got one of you on the bobcat. Yeah, place that tree a little closer to ..., Oh, look! a butterfly." Well, how many pictures of mud and rocks do we really need to document this? :)



So without further ado, meet the spring azure that brightened up my day. It's actually quite common to find these butterflies in or near mud. The behavior is called puddling. They sip the moisture from the mud to get the minerals they need.



So until spring arrives with its flowers, returning birds and butterflies, I am enjoying my photos from previous years. And hopefully in the weeks to come, I'll be posting pics of orioles and bluebirds. They should be returning very soon.

Do you like animals? Check out Camera Critters, a meme dedicated to animal photography sharing.