June 30 - Christmas Meadow

Mostly sunny and in the 50s when I arrive at my turn off to Christmas Meadows. I'm not going to the Campground; tried that once and nearly lost my car. I'm going to the 1st left turn and there I will park and wander around thru the sagebrush and alongside the road. I'm not to sure what to expect as this is the earliest I've been here and with the late start to summer...

On the drive, I see Anise Swallowtail right away and other flyers too.

I park and start wandering thru the sagebrush. There are flowers blooming.

Larkspurs

Phacelia species

I start with a Large Marble and then spot a small flyer -- holy cow it's a Thicket Hairstreak!! Very fresh and the 1st one I've seen in Utah!

I see a couple more when I see another small flyer and it lands. I'm thinking it's another Thicket but Holy Cow! It's a Western Pine Elfin! Again the 1st one I've seen in Utah! Well this make the trip worth it right now; I could just stop now but I continue the wander.

Here are all the butterflies I see:

Anise Swallowtail -

Western Swallowtail -

Painted Lady -

Western Tail Blue -

Silvery Blue -

Checkered White -

Orangetips -

Large Marble -

N. Cloudywing -

Dreamy Duskywing -

Thicket Hairstreak - these guys look different. Perhaps male/female, perhaps age, perhaps just variation or just sunlight.

Western Pine Elfin -

Awesome day on Mirror Lake Hwy!!

On the way home, I stop at the North Fork trailhead. There are these wonderful white flowers shrubs

I'm thinking they'd be a butterfly magnet. 

No such luck but I do see a Ringlet and 2 small unID'd flyers.

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