It’s Butterfly Week at Hoofbeats & Footprints!

Beautiful butterflies from around the world will be shared with you this week, compliments of The Wings of Fancy exhibit at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland.

An exclusive photography workshop offered through Capital Photography Center allowed us entry into the exhibit two hours before opening. Upon entering the secured facility through double doors, and staff butterfly guardians at each entrance, we were immediately greeted by a resident Blue Morpho resting on the walkway.

Living in tropical forests from Mexico to Peru, and a short lifespan of 115 days, his brilliant iridescent blue wings are memorable. This one rested at the same spot for quite sometime, and I knew the only way to get the shot was to get down and dirty like I did at Nickerson Beach.

I usually see the Blue Morpho’s flying around quickly, or enjoying samples of tropical fruit with their wings closed. Ok..I cheated, these below are actually Mournful Owls. But I have seen Blue Morphos doing the same thing.

The longer I stayed in the atrium, the more varieties of butterflies begun to show themselves. Seems that some of them are late sleepers. Asking one of the Butterfly guardians, I learned that there can be up to 51 species fluttering about. It’s no wonder I kept seeing new butterflies. As the morning grew long, the more active the butterflies became.

It truly was a wonderful experience and well worth the early wake up call. Truly there is nothing better than to spend a lovely early Sunday morning in a butterfly house. Come back this week and see more incredible butterflies discovered at The Wings of Fancy.