Butterflies in the Upper Gatineau!

Today's post is a bit light; I haven't just been photographing plants. I've also been chasing butterflies and moths around with my camera. I don't know a whole lot about most of them, but I have at least identified a few, and I do like the pictures so I figured I would share.

My favourite shot from this series is this one, of Thymelicus lineola (European skipper) collecting nectar from Leucanthemum vulgare:

Thymelicus lineola collecting nectar from Leucanthemum vulgare

I also managed to get some photos of Ctenucha virginica, a species native and endemic to Eastern North America but which has apparently now spread across Canada. I think its face looks a lot like a wrestling mask:

Ctenucha virginica underside

Ctenucha virginica topside

We have Phyciodes cocyta (northern crescent), which I have posted about before:

Phyciodes cocyta

I even managed to get this one collecting nectar from Berteroa incana:

Phyciodes cocyta collecting nectar from Berteroa incana

Phyciodes cocyta collecting nectar from Berteroa incana

Of course, pollinators never hold still for long, so unfortunately my last shot of this individual was just of its hind end as it flew away:

Phyciodes cocyta flying away

I also managed to capture a few shots of Lethe anthedon (northern pearly-eye), though they were very shy:

Lethe anthedon (slightly damaged wing)

Lethe anthedon (this one with a cut antenna)

I'm not much of an expert in insects so this is primarily just a post to document the presence of a variety of lepidopterans at the lake. It's good to know in a general way what pollinators are out there.

Eagle Rock - Montagne de l'aigle

Near Cayamant, QC, there is an old lookout called la montagne de l'aigle (literally 'eagle mountain', usually called Eagle Rock in English).

The views from up there are quite pleasing, affording a fairly high vantage point to view the winding path of la rivière de l'aigle ('eagle river').

Here it is in early spring.

La rivière de l'aigle - vue du belvédère de la montagne de l'aigle

This picture shows very nicely that in this area, the river actually is more like a wetland with a passable section; it's all marshy scrub down there.

I may have gone off the path and up to the cliff a bit

These pictures are taken mid-May, just as the canopy is starting to close. The folliage wasn't yet full out but it wasn't more than a few days before it was. You can see that the choke cherries (bottom right) are blooming.

Le belvédère de la montagne de l'aigle offre une vue spectaculaire sur la rivière de l'aigle près de Cayamant. Le sentier ni le belvédère ne sont plus maintenus (la compangie qui faisait l'amménagement ne semble plus être en opération), donc je conseille que ceux qui y vont tiennent cette information en tête; ce n'est pas un endroit sans ses dangers (les fallaises sont les plus visibles des dangers dans une forêt non-aménagée, mais pas les seuls danger).