Two new Ranch Butterfly Species

It's been a long time since I added a new butterfly species to the Ranch list, so today I was very surprised to find two new species about 20 feet apart while I was out doing the weekly nest box census.  Both species have been on my watch list, just got lucky today.

The Great Purple Hairstreak is easy to identify.  Its size and dark color sitting on top of an Antelope Horns Milkweed flower head was unmistakable.  All I need was my camera that was still in the house.  A quick run up and back, and this individual had not moved an inch.

Great Purple Hairstreak

My second surprise was a Southern Oak Hairstreak also feeding on a different milkweed flower.  At the time I took the picture, I thought it was one of the 10's of Gray Hairstreaks all feeding on the dozen's of milkweeds in bloom.  It was only when I got back to look at the photos in house light, did I see I had taken a picture of the Oak Hairstreak.

Southern Oak Hairstreak

Just to make my Lep day, an Eight Spotted Forester Moth was feeding close by and I snapped a few shots of it for my Butterfly Program.

Eight Spotted Forester Moth

The only other interesting part of the route was a Gray Fox hiding in the high grass that I walked up.  It sprinted off a few yards, turned to give me a look and then trotted off down the hill. Sorry, no pictures.