Yani Dubin
Stained glass glider
Several Danaus plexippus (Monarch butterfly) clustering for overwintering amongst the withering leaves of an oak at Ernle Clark Reserve, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Smaller clusters here (a few hundred spread around this tree), but it is a lovely park and one of my favourite old haunts. While there is something to be said for the larger, denser clusters (which I've been photographing elsewhere), there is something I love about them spread out in smaller groups in the oak leaves and basking - especially when sunny (if not exactly warm) when a few will leave and rejoin, causing the perched ones to flap their wings in sympathy (yes, probably protest). I can watch them for hours.
I love the way the sun passes through those backlit wings like stained glass windows. While the background is contrastier than I like, it sort of frames the subject here.
This may be the first time I have shared a butterfly in flight as I don't like how awkward/ungainly they seem when frozen in time mid-flap. But I really like what it is doing here with wings outstretched.
Cropped, but otherwise unprocessed camera jpeg.
Stained glass glider
Several Danaus plexippus (Monarch butterfly) clustering for overwintering amongst the withering leaves of an oak at Ernle Clark Reserve, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Smaller clusters here (a few hundred spread around this tree), but it is a lovely park and one of my favourite old haunts. While there is something to be said for the larger, denser clusters (which I've been photographing elsewhere), there is something I love about them spread out in smaller groups in the oak leaves and basking - especially when sunny (if not exactly warm) when a few will leave and rejoin, causing the perched ones to flap their wings in sympathy (yes, probably protest). I can watch them for hours.
I love the way the sun passes through those backlit wings like stained glass windows. While the background is contrastier than I like, it sort of frames the subject here.
This may be the first time I have shared a butterfly in flight as I don't like how awkward/ungainly they seem when frozen in time mid-flap. But I really like what it is doing here with wings outstretched.
Cropped, but otherwise unprocessed camera jpeg.