I was reminded of the first time I saw a Blue Morpho in the wild. Seven months pregnant with our son (middle child), I went on a jungle hike in Ecuador that involved descending into a deep canyon via a steep trail with a rope. Tim and our guide took good care of me and I managed to go up and down without incident.
At the bottom of the small deep canyon, a waterfall splashed into a small pool before running away in a stream of clear cool water. Light filtered through tall trees and a fine mist filled the air. Several Blue Morphos flitted about as we admired this secret place. With closed wings these creatures camouflage well (they are the brown ones with many "eyes" in the lower left corner of the collage above), but when they fly, oh the beauty of their iridescent blue wings.
This memory came to mind as I watched Blue Morphos in the gardens this week. It's difficult to capture them in flight and as soon as they stop, the wings close, hiding their blue beauty. I managed to capture a hint of the blue which does not compare to actually seeing them.
It's far too cold for butterflies outside of the sanctuary just now, but I've seen a few fat bumblebees busy about the early blooms which is an encouraging sight. What are the sights in your world these days?