This is a California Tortoiseshell butterfly. It is about the size of a half-dollar coin. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands of them fluttering around as I descended McKenzie Pass from the Dee Wright Observatory south towards the little town of Westfir (a considerable distance). I have never seen so many butterflies in the “wild” in my life. It was absolutely amazing. I call them suicidal because so many of them seemed to want to fly right in front of my car.
One of these years I need to go up to the Blue Ridge Parkway back home in North Carolina to see the annual migration of Monarch butterflies. Kathy, we need to put that on our bucket lists.
UPDATE: I’ve posted a second picture. Unfortunately, his willingness to pose is due to the fact that he’s deceased.
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