• Saturday-What'sUP June 18 - 05:47 am

In case you're wondering, Toivo normally does the Saturday Pasty Cam, but he took one look at Thursday's shots of Isle Royale and decided to take a quick trip over there, asking me to cover for him. So, when I found this flock of butterflies covering the L'Anse beach, I figured they'd be perfect for the job. For some reason these yellow tiger swallowtails can often be found in groups like these captured by Stanley Spruce. Of course you can also find them solo and if you're patient enough, get a close-up like the second shot from Z-Man. If he'd have gotten any closer to this guy, he'd have been rubbing noses with him. Oh wait, I think butterflies smell with their feet, so he has no nose! :->

I love butterflies. I make sure I have plenty of flowers to attract both them and hummingbirds.

There's a theory that groups of butterflies assemblied on the ground like this are getting some sort of mineral from the ground. Interesting theory -- think I'll research it more when I have time.

Groups of butterflies are called a kalidescope. It's an English teacher thing. I'm a Cursillista so butterflies are like inbred in one. I love the yellow and black.

I saw these years ago at High Rock Bay on the point. There seemed to be thousands of then all over the rocks.

Margaret--

What is a Cursillista? I will slip that
kaleidoscope thing in sometime next week in
class.

Are you done teaching yet?

Kosk, Thanks for asking. I didn't want to appear stupid. Even asked my husband what it was cuz he's the brains with words. Even HE didn't know what it was.

Margaret, Amarillo TX (Margaret):
"Groups of butterflies are called a kalidescope."

Margaret:

Oh that's a good one!
I think "a kalidescope of butterflies" ranks right up there with another alltime favorite of mine: "a parliament of owls"

Do you know any more? (Anyone else?)

Some long years ago I had gathered quite a list of such "aggregations of critters", such as , "a herd of (many kinds of critters)", "a pod of whales", "a gaggle of geese", and so on. (Whatever is the proper nomenclature for "aggregations of critters"? And why do you suppose there is/was such a wondrous variety of often very descriptive species-specific names?)

Unfortunately that was "wayback" in the days before our modern computers, and thus my list was recorded on paper. I regret that I am so seriously disorganized that my motto these days should be "If it ain't in da computer I can't find it!" So of course I have lost my extensive list, drat!

Ages ago it was suggested to me that the proper subject of research to discover further such names for "aggregations of critters" would be venery: "hunting; pursuit of game". Even with that clue, and the extensive resources of the Internet and the many search engines, trying to re-acquire that list has been an exercise in frustration!

"I'm a Cursillista" Okay, you've got me there. I had no luck with finding that in any available dictionary, either english or spanish!

FrNash,
You might try this page: http://www.ojohaven.com/collectives/
Some are just suggested names, but others are in use in the English language.

Leslie (Leslie_in_tx):

Thanks for the link (and the speedy reply)!
Although there seem to be more "suggestions" and "submissions" there than "real" English collective nouns (most either already lost or fading away), that's by far the best clue I've seen in years!

Kosk,I went on the internet and discovered a cursillista is one who has attended a Cursilla
Three Days. It is sort of a religious retreat,I believe.

Good work, Erica!

kosk, send me an e-mail(click on my name) and I'll give you info.

Beautiful butterflies make a beautiful picture.