A childhood favorite of mine is the Buckeye (Junonia coenia) butterfly. I remember regular sightings of these beauties as a child and today, though they’re supposedly “common”, I find their appearance a rare treat. Copyright 2020 Pamela BreitbergBuckeye butterflies are aptly named since they appear to have multiple “eyes” which serve to confuse predators. These “eyes” appear on both the inside and outside of each wing. Once again nature’s patterning and artistry is amazing and humbling to this novice artist. Copyright 2020 Pamela BreitbergI feel like the patient hunter whenever my camera and I are in a prairie lush with plants and wildlife. Yesterday at Chicago’s South Pond in Lincoln Park’s restored prairie lands this Buckeye butterfly was quite content on a Tall Boneset (Eupatorium altissimum). Copyright 2020 Pamela Breitberg
