Colored pencil: Sulphur

Butterfly, drawn July 23, 2017, based on photo at Santa Ysabel, California June 16, 2017. Greg Gillson.

I am continuing my attempt at photo-realistic colored pencil nature drawings. This butterfly is some kind of sulphur, perhaps a female Orange Sulphur colias eurytheme. I was unable to identify the flowering plant. I learned a lot about the lines on butterfly wings making this drawing--my first attempt at a butterfly.

The out-of-focus background is my second attempt. My first attempt at such a background (not this butterfly) was a flop.

The background alone took about 3 hours, the entire piece about 10 hours. Original size is 5-1/2 x 6-1/2.

Colored pencil: Dragonflies

Here are two colored pencil works derived from photos. These were my first drawings of dragonflies, and my first attempt at partially transparent wings.

Colored pencil dragonfly. From photo at Santa Ysabel, California on June 16, 2017. Greg Gillson.

I'm not positive of the species. The first appears to be a skimmer, perhaps Common Whitetail. The second dragonfly is possibly some kind of meadowhawk.

Colored pencil dragonfly. From photo at Santa Ysabel, California on June 16, 2017. Greg Gillson.

"Is that a nest?"

"Is that a nest?" asked the woman hiking by?

No. No, I don't think so.

This is a honey bee swarm. A queen and her workers is searching for a new colony location. It can be the old queen moving the colony or "virgin queens" setting out to build a new colony.

Honey bee swarm. Escondido, California. May 8, 2016. Greg Gillson.

Though it may be a bit unnerving to some, such swarming bees are not aggressive. At this point they have no colony or young to protect, so are less likely to feel threatened. The bees may hang here for a couple of days until scouts come back with a good report of a new location for the hive.

UFO's near Julian

Birding often slows down in the heat of summer. That's when I tend to notice other colorful unidentified flying objects.

I appreciate all forms of life, but my identification skills have concentrated primarily on birds, whales, western pines, and edible plants. My knowledge of butterflies is quite limited. I think I regularly see swallowtails, monarchs, admirals, sulfurs, and whites. But getting more specific than that has not been a priority for me.

So I offer these photos and tentative ID's to butterflies I photographed in early July near Julian, California at about 4000-4600 feet elevation. Oh, and one very interesting flower, too.

Mylitta Crescent. Julian, California. July 4, 2015. Greg Gillson.

Checkered White. Lake Cuyamaca, California. July 4, 2015. Greg Gillson.

Lupine Blue. Lake Cuyamaca, California. July 4, 2015. Greg Gillson.

Humboldt Lily. William Heise County Park, Julian, California. July 3, 2015. Greg Gillson.

Flame Skimmer

I only occasionally photograph butterflies or dragonflies. But Marlene pointed a dragonfly out for me at Julian over an artificial stream and pond.

Flame Skimmer. Julian, California. July 4, 2015. Greg Gillson.

I really know nothing about identifying these insects other than selecting one that looks like the correct size, shape, and color from the list of southern California dragonflies. If I am correct, this is a Flame Skimmer.

Anyone want to confirm or contradict?