Serendipitous lifer

The other day a friend posted a butterfly photo on a facebook group that would have been a lifer for me. She saw it at Gage Gardens in Marathon. I hadn't been there all year, so resolved to go check it out first chance I got, which was today. After I left the gardens, I went to the Post Park since it's sometimes good, and is close to Marathon. Approaching the entrance I saw someone photographing something near the entrance, and lo and behold, it was that friend. She was the reason I had gone to Marathon in the first place. And had she not been stopped there I never would have even glanced around there for butterflies. She was photographing a Viceroy, a lifer for me, as well as for her and her husband.

Nothing else I found all day was a lifer, but great butterflies, nonetheless. Here is my second ever Meridian Duskywing.

And a lovely Question Mark.

This resident duck has a tuft of feathers apparently growing from his head. Doesn't seem to deter his popularity. A couple of females were hanging around.

And this is a very common butterfly, a Queen, on a Buttonbush. I just love how his spots coordinated with the bloom.

I'll end with some of the incredible blooms at Gage Gardens. There are flowers everywhere. It's awesome!

Roses

Roses

Columbine

Columbine

Columbine

Bird of Paradise