Live in the American West? Now is a good time to look for this butterfly. How-to video below. It's a 2 1/4" butterfly, will give you a bright splash of color before many flowers emerge and bloom. Satyr Comma in early Spring youtu.be/wsbfooF2BfM via YouTube

Bulbous Woodland-star (Lithophragma glabrum) now in flower in western MT. The flower has five-five lobed petals (each 5-8 mm long [Lesica 2012]) narrowly attached inside a cupped hypanthium (part calyx, corolla and stamens). Structural advantage: pollen retained for pollinators🙂

Found Brittle Pricklypear (Opuntia fragilis) with the #wildflower Yellowbells (left photo) in grassland habitat yesterday. Flowering for the cactus will happen circa mid-July. Those spines are sharp and sticky...found out by transplanting a bud in yard.🙂

Cladonia #lichen (likely C. chlorophaea) emerging from snow cover fully operational. Lichen can handle temperature extremes; experiments have results of lichen recovering from 90C and -196 degrees C (Brodo, Sharnoff, Sharnoff 2001).🙂

Green Comma (Polygonia faunus) photographed in March showing no signs of wear/tear from previous late summer/fall birth, daily activities thereafter up to and including winter hibernation event. Amazing #butterflies🙂

Rocky start to your week? This stony part of the natural world covered in #lichen should remind you of the beauty all around and the time it has been extant. Take time for closer looks knowing a difficult day is just a blip on the geological scale.

This is a photo of a member of the Pixie Cup group (128 North American species) of #lichen. Without chemical testing believe this is Cladonia phyllophora or Felt Cladonia (Brodo et al 2001).

Still looking for first 2023 Small-flower Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia parviflora). By this time last year plants were already in bloom (photos below). One of smallest #wildflowers in MT. Flowers only 1/4" long. Large populations can turn parts of landscape (room-sized) blue.🙂

Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) just starting to emerge from the soil in the Bitterroot Valley. This #wildflower is powerful in form and color on the landscape. Follow this link for views of plant when in bloom April through June: x.com/Cypseloides/st…

Powdered Funnel Lichen (Cladonia cenotea) are the "wide mouth" version for Pixie Cup genus. Identify by substrate (on downed timber) and curled inward lips of the "mouth". Range of this #lichen is centered on boreal forest fingering into n. Rocky and Appalachian mountains.

This was my 4th butterfly species seen this year between periods of continued winter. Watch for clues to find, identify. Post your successes (for you folks in the American West). 🙂 California Tortoiseshell - Finding in Spring youtu.be/M0UEs-VQTBc via YouTube

First shootingstars of the year: Bonneville Shootingstar (Dodecatheon conjugens). Surprised to find..."everywhere" I've checked had no sign (leaves). Yet, on this east/southeast facing slope there were many. Get outside and find your own #wildflower surprises. 🙂

Wildlife watching centered on timing, bird pops out of heavy brush for moments look. Similar with #wildflowers. Low Pussytoes (Antennaria dimorpha) mat-like, an inch tall. In flower now in grasslands of northern American West. Resembles lichen by late summer (Lackschewitz 1991)🙂

Today, photographed first Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) of 2023 in the Bitterroot Valley for checklist. Saw another later along with 3 Comma species. Big 👍considering the conditions haven't been primo for #butterfly activity.

This is an organic twist for this #BlueMonday. Below is a short video of a small (at most 1.25" wingspan) butterfly, Spring Azure, that should be (or soon will be) flying in the majority of the U.S. The upperwing is blue, seen during flight.🙂

Wyeth's Lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus var. humicola) leaves just emerging from gravelly foothill soils around Missoula. Usually first spring lupine species to flower (Lackschewitz 1991). Larval host plant for couple of small blue butterfly (x.com/Cypseloides/st…)

Pasqueflower (Anemone patens) is a large #wildflower, blue petal-like sepals are 2" long. Even so, can be difficult to see from forested trail on cloudy days. Top two phots taken from trail, can you see the plant? Bottom two, flowers just opening. Great to find🙂

Bob Danley Pasqueflower? -> yep, here: blumen-natur.de/en/pasqueflowe…

Discovered a nice grouping of Emery Rock Tripe (Umbilicaria phaea) on shaded side of large boulder in forested habitat. Note the smooth surface of this #lichen. Also typically colored more brown; color change probably related to snow melt moisture.🙂

I reached a lifetime climb of 14,000 floors and earned the Spaceship badge today with Fitbit! fitbit.com/user/B7K772 #Fitstats