A most unexpected event!

Today is our last full day in Florida. I wanted to make the most of it and got out early to try for more butterflies and birds. I had done so well with butterflies that I thought sure that I wasn’t likely to get anything more, but I was enjoying what I was seeing so much I devoted the morning to them. I had about the same things at my #2 spot “Bay Place” that I went to first, nothing new. I then went to the “Loch Harbour”, the field within sight of our condo. As usual it was alive with butterflies, and I was trying to find a pair of skippers from yesterday that haven’t been positively ID’d yet. As I worked my way around, I came upon a Delaware Skipper. My first of the trip, but quite common. A bit further I came across a TROPICAL CHECKERED SKIPPER! Only the second I’ve ever seen and the last was well over ten years ago. Two new butterflies, guess I was wrong about “nothing new”. I then checked the spot for yesterday’s unknown skippers without success. I decided to fan out a bit to see if I’d come across them. I’d only gone twenty feet or so when I nearly gasped! On a patch of daisy’s right at my feet I saw a GREAT PURPLE HAIRSTREAK!!!!! I might be exaggerating to call it one of the “Holy Grail” butterflies, but it is very difficult to find, and I never even entertained that I would ever see one in my lifetime! Not only was I seeing it, it was amazingly confiding! I was able to walk around it and take photos from every direction. I could bend the weeds it was on for a better angle etc. etc. Every once in a while, it would suddenly fly out a couple of feet and then land back in the daisy’s only a foot or two from where it had been. It fed constantly giving all sorts of great views. I spent an entire half hour with this butterfly trying in vain to get a flight shot when it would take off. I wasn’t nearly quick enough, and it didn’t happen. Why a flight shot? Its the upper surface of the wings that are an amazing purplish blue! I could only see it while it would fly around. Once it landed, it appeared black again, but still beautiful with its array of black, red, blue and orange colors! The butterfly finally took off, flying far across the field and I was still in awe of what had happened. I will probably never see this butterfly again, but it was an experience I’ll never forget!