Did you ever see a butterfly wake up?

This morning while I was out with the dogs I noticed two Gulf Fritillary butterflies hanging under leaves, wings folded, and pale. When they prepare for sleep, they fold their wings, drain their color, and squeeze their antennae together so that the clubs touch. This species resembles a leaf when they do it.

In the morning, they need to come up to flying temperature, so the first sunbeam that touches them, wakes them. They move to the tops of the leaves or stem so they can catch those rays. Otherwise, they wait if they are in the shade.

I went into the house and grabbed my trusty little Sony DW50, and here's what I got. A Gulf Fritillary (migrating now) with a large bird bite in one wing, slowly pumping iron in the sun.

Hope you like this. (Now I have to find out how to upload a video here. Sorry)

Nature astonishes me. There is always something to learn. Every day. By the way, the Gulf Fritillary at the top of this entry is the same species as the one waking up. Notice the difference in color when fully awake.