Absolutely gorgeous.

~Laura

What a fantastic find and great pictures, Sandy!

I looked up regal fritillary, and it says they're disappearing, restricting themselves to the tall grass prairies of the upper midwest. My field guide only shows them as occurring in a small section of OK in the northern part, so it really is exceptional that you saw this one. I love the dark coloring - what a beauty!

Sherry

Ohhhhh! Sandy that is indeed an amazingly beautiful thing to see! One of the reasons I am ok with moving back to the Chicago area is because there is work being done there to reinstate them in appropriate habitats.

You must have just felt so out of this world!

Congratulations, Sandy! What a find! I doubt if many of us can say that we've ever seen a Regal Fritillary. I'm so glad that you got to see it.
Cathy

Unbelievable! Congratulations!

Jeff

Fantastic! That is what all the preserving and restoration of native habitats are about.
Cheers,
Elisabeth

I'm jealous of your butterfly sighting plus of your camera that can capture a great shot of a butterfly in flight. Wow!

Awww gee, thanks, KC. It was catch the butterfly in flight or else. I'm surprised it turned out. You should have seen the crazy old white-headed lady (me) running around after the butterfly. The blackberries were catching at my pants legs, and I kept looking for something tall enough to hide behind so I could sneak up on the dudette. I was so excited when I saw her, that I left my car with the keys in the ignition, unlocked by the side of the road. When a driver stopped to see what was going on, I was hoping they wouldn't take my car. I was just going to go across the road . . . It was a merry chase.

To all of you who made comments, this was a special butterfly. I'm thankful for conservationists who have the vision to realize how important our open spaces are. I'm also thankful for our local group of lep people who share with each other. And, I'm thankful my knees didn't give out during the chase.

Sandy

You're such a hoot, Sandy! I, for one, and I'm sure I'm not alone, CAN visualize the crazy, white-haired lady with a camera, running willy nilly in a wildflower field, chasing a butterfly in flight!! LOL!

What a great find! I know you were hoping to site one, and voila! - nature and God's gift gave you the opportunity! Such a beautiful butterfly image, too!

Susan

Oh wow Sandy. What an AWESOME find!!! I really love the last pic the most. Congrats on your sighting, and I can totally relate to the running crazed through the meadow bit! I agree with you too about the eternal home idea. So much so, that I have directed my family to scatter my ashes about in a wildflower meadow when I am gone. :o) ~~Angie

Angie,

That's my wishes, too!

Sandy