Amberwings on my mind

Yesterday evening my pickup started making a loud high-pitched squeal when it was moving. I vaguely remember the mechanic telling me some months ago that it needed a brake job. But I had forgotten all about it. So I figured that was the problem, like metal on metal.

So rather than finish the guesthouse, I came to town early this morning. Before I'd gone a mile I heard an ominous clunking sound, then no squeal, all was normal from then on. Took it to the mechanic in town and they checked it over and couldn't find anything wrong with it. Go figure! Why can't my life be simple and stress-free?

Determined to make the best of the day, I searched for the Mexican Amberwing. No luck, but dozens of Eastern Amberwings, which made it difficult to be sure the Mexican wasn't in there somewhere. The other day when I found it, it was the only amberwing on the west side of the west pond. Then the next day, if you recall, I took pictures in that "territory," and ended up with an Eastern and the Mexican. Today in that territory there was only an Eastern. So I figure it won the turf war. The other pond is larger, with no perches in the water. Amberwings were swarming all over it and it was just too impossible. On the rare occasion one landed within range of me, it turned out to be an Eastern. Bummer!

Since I was spending so much time sitting by the pond I brought out my old Canon Rebel and the Mark II. Comparing shots, I much preferred the Lumix so those cameras are retired forever.

Here's a male Pearl Crescent.

And here is a photo I took today of the wing of an Eastern so you can compare it to the wing of the Mexican I shot here the other day. (I know you're dying to!)

The Mexican has cross-veins further dividing those particular cells.  I think that diagnostic feature is only on the forewing though. Devil's in the details. There are other ways to tell them apart too.