A Touch of Gray on Green

Brushy Creek Regional Trail has become one of my favorite bike trails in the Austin area. It’s easy to ride—if I don’t go to the demanding mountain biking areas—and offers exciting off-trail options when I want to explore more. The two photos I share here were captured in the spring in one of the single-track options I like to use off the main trail.

I have discovered that this particular section of the trail is full of pollinators and wildflowers. On this day, I was surprised to see a lot of activity involving Gray Hairstreak butterflies on Antelope Horn Milkweed (Asclepias asperula). According to the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, milkweed is the food source for Monarch butterfly caterpillars. I did not spot any caterpillars that day, but the Gray Hairstreaks were abundant.

I have generally seen Gray Hairstreaks resting on wildflowers, so I was thrilled to see them with their wings open during this encounter. At first, I was unsure if they were Gray Hairstreaks because of the dark colors of the inside wings. When they closed their wings, I dropped my jaw in amazement: they were Gray Hairstreaks! With my Samsung S23 in hand, I began capturing several shots. Although I had my regular Lumix FZ2500 bridge camera, I knew I did not have enough time to get it out of my backpack. With a 50 MP lens, the Samsung S23 is good enough for quick shots.

For John’s Cellpic Sunday.