September - The month of butterflies

Puddling on Cow Dung.



Clicked on Thursday Sept 3, 2009.

The jungles on the hill of Janapao near Mhow. My uncle who is visiting from
Kerala wants to go and see a Shiva temple on a hilltop. We are walking through the forest when I see these butterflies feeding on cowdung. I also see some smaller groups on rocks too ... fascinating...

When I posted this in my facebook account this is what Priyanka - a fellow blogger and nature lover- commented: "Many butterflies feed on nectar from flowers, but they also get essential minerals and salts from mud and animal manures. This large gathering on mud or manure is called mud-puddling. Many an entomologists create their own mud puddles in their gardens in flower beds to attract a wide range of butterflies."

Pic below: Perched on a cactus is a Tailed Jay. Sept 21, 2007 at home.



Pic below: This Common Emigrant had perched on my shoulder and then it floated onto this flower. Clicked on Sept 21, 2007 at home.