I stood out in the main meadow just beyond the White Oak Pavilion and watched this butterfly as it flew in and out of the outer branches of the oak trees.
Although it has quite a bumpy, meandering flight pattern, it seems like it has a territory. There was a breeze swirling about and small, brown oak leaves were floating and tumbling through the air. Amusingly, if one of the leaves fluttered into the butterfly’s airspace, it would swoop over to it as if to warn the intruder. Even dragonflies would be paid a visit if they came into its domain.
I loved watching the flash of its bold orange and white markings. It is a fairly quick flyer and a little tricky to follow as it weaves through the landscape. It would only light somewhere for a few seconds, which made getting a photo pretty tricky. However, it occasionally paused on these overripe blackberries for a minute or so to eat. In my research I found that rotting fruit is part of their diet. So look for a patch of blackberries along the edge of the oak savanna. This is a good place to try and get a good look at them as they momentarily pause to eat. Good luck.
