It’s summer and that means one thing, butterflies, lots and lots of beautifully adorned butterflies.
On many of these summertime photo excursions my mind easily turns from birds to butterflies because, well, butterflies are just plain awesome.
Yesterday was certainly one of those days where my intention was to take a trip around the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge auto tour route so I could photograph and blog about American white pelicans, and I still will mind you, but I admittedly got a little distracted before even getting there.
On my way down to the refuge auto loop, I came across a small patch of fully bloomed sunflowers loaded with what I am certain are checkered white, cabbage white, and a few clouded sulphur butterflies feeding on its nectar, causing my brain to shift into a butterfly-only mode for the time being.
And that is where it’s been ever since as I keep pondering about what those small white butterflies shared with me yesterday morning during our quiet but very powerful moment together.
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(Checkered White Butterflies Feeding On Sunflowers. For short nature clips like this one and interesting stories about the natural world around us, check out our Bear River Blogger channel on YouTube for videos and updates from our travels while out in nature, both on and off of the famed Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.)
Wild sunflowers in bloom like this are a vital and important source of nectar for a variety of butterflies during late summer and early fall, including both the monarch butterfly and painted lady butterfly that both earnestly feed on bloomed sunflowers on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge before their fall migration begins.
As I sat and watched this intriguing and most colorful sight, I noticed it was quite common for 2,3, and even 4 butterflies to share a sunflower bloom with one another.
There was no fighting or fussing over which butterfly was there first, it was just butterflies getting along with one another and sharing the sweet nectar that was available to all.
This harmony between creatures so small and insignificant with respect to this grand world we live in reminded me how and what our society could and should be like, a society where we earnestly look out for each other and not worry about what portion of the world’s riches is mine and what portion is yours.
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The butterflies seemingly shared the nectar without any hesitation or reservation with regard to any of the other butterflies on the sunflower patch.
And in that respect, I think we too should share a portion of our own good fortune with those truly in need of being lifted up.
Truth is, every one of us could be in a situation of needing a helping hand someday by no fault of our own but just from life’s everyday challenges and trials that can overwhelm and bring us to our knees no matter how hard we fight.
Honestly, over the years, I’ve had my fair share of days like that so I know firsthand what it is like to struggle no matter how much effort is given so I tend to have a soft spot in my heart for other people facing their own uphill battles in life.
I absolutely loved sitting there watching those butterflies feed on the sunflowers and I was even more intrigued by how these simple and most delicate creatures got along with one another despite each butterfly needing to feed on the nectar to sustain itself while the limited supply of food was available.
Maybe I’m an old softie but I was definitely touched by these small white butterflies interacting with one another on this patch of bloomed sunflowers, all diligently working for their own survival but not at the expense of another.
It touched me to the point where I want to help someone in need and I’ll share this opportunity with anyone that wants to pitch in and help as well.
No worries at all if you’re not able or interested, I am always grateful for your readership and loyal support for this website, and that by itself will slowly help me lift up someone else I personally know who no matter how hard they fight the ends just never seem to meet.
But for anyone who can and wants to directly help out a little more, any and all efforts and support will be greatly appreciated and welcomed by not only me but even more so by an individual I personally know who is fighting as hard as a person can to, well, make ends meet as best as they can but, unfortunately, they still come up short despite their valiant efforts.
I can’t and won’t go into any details about their particular circumstances as I don’t want to embarrass this individual by any means as they do occasionally read my blog from time to time, but suffice it to say, I’m personally going to help however and whenever I can.
I’ve actually been helping a tiny bit here and there for a while now with what little I can offer by myself but there is only so much one person can do.
As such, any and all proceeds generated from this particular blog post, either by the specific apparel link or donation button below, will solely and directly be used to help this individual with a variety of needs they currently have.
But as I mentioned above, any participation in this effort is completely voluntary and will be greatly appreciated by myself and, I’m 100% confident in saying, by the recipient as well.
I love photographing and writing about nature, it is quite satisfying by its own merits.
(For those wanting to donate directly to the individual mentioned above, use this PayPal button where all proceeds recieved will go directly to help the person mentioned earlier in this blog post.)
But with each monthly turn of the calendar, I am learning day by day it’s even more rewarding to help someone who is a bit down on their luck so I hope I can combine those two passions of mine, my love for nature and a growing desire to help others in need, with this particular blog post where we all can come together for a good cause.
I truly do appreciate your readership and the opportunity to photograph and write about nature here on this website.
For anyone who loves nature as much as I do, I offer you to head on over to our subscribe page and sign up for email notifications for future blog posts about our photography excursion on and off of the famed Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.
