Butterfly Shooting is Very Good Now

If you visit to photograph the elk herds, you will definitely want to have a secondary target in mind.  Summer heat is back and the elk will be gone by 8 or 9AM.  My favorite second subject at this time of year are butterflies.  Early rains have created strong summer wildflower blooms. For some reason hummingbird moths are thick this year in many places.

Below is my favorite hummingbird moth picture so far. I call it "pollen puss". My standard strategy for this sort of photo is to pick a flower composition I like and just wait, often for hours. I would say this photo took me 6 hours to get.  As always, there is plenty of luck in getting a decent photo.  I chose a top lit flower in this case for an out of the ordinary compo.

2/6/13 First Wildflower for 2013 Season

Wildflower season is starting early this year.  This white trout lily was the first wildflower blooming I could find in Lost Valley. This was the first one on 2/6, on 2/8 there were 5 more, and I am sure they are picking up steam now.

This is a beautiful wild flower and one of the very earliest flowers. The season for them is short so if you want to see them its time to visit.

If you plan to photograph most of the Ozark wildflowers in the Buffalo River Region you will have to get out a few times. Some like this lily only hang around a few weeks at most. You can stretch your visits by checking out different venues.  Another outstanding wildflower venue is Smith Creek Preserve just south out of Boxley Valley.

Other good venues are the Mill Creek trail in Pruitt, the loop trails at Tyler Bend, and the Overlook trail at Buffalo Point.  Call the rangerfor specific advice, they will be glad to show you where wildflowers are in the middle and lower Buffalo National River areas.

Pruitt Ranger Station Information  Upper River
(870) 446-5373

Tyler Bend Visitor Center Information  Middle River
(870) 439-2502

Buffalo Point Ranger Station Information  Lower River
(870) 449-4311

White Trout Lily -- Lost Valley Hiking Trail