Tailed Jay

Graphium agamemnon

I first blipped this most splendid of butterflies back on the 1st Nov last year, from the grove. I could not get close enough for a good shot and had to severely crop, but at least the wings were open. The second time was a better shot on the 19th April this year. The wings were not fully open but I was able to get close enough for a full frame image.

I have lots of side views of this winged artwork but resisted the temptation to blip it, preferring to wait for the image to do the creature justice. I just didn't figure that it was going to take a year to get the shot. All my previous attempts did teach me that I need two clicks of under exposure to capture the green. So here it is, not a perfect specimen, you'll probably have to wait another year for that! Wingspan is about five inches, my favorite butterfly, sitting on a branch of the mimosa tree.

and I see several every day at a particular spot, actually, the same spot that I blipped the double snake shot. According to my research, the species prefers open habitats including forest clearings, riverbanks and beach hinterlands, at elevations between sea level and about 500 metres. Of the five locations that I have blipped insects from, this butterfly is most common at my current location and probably the least like the researched specification. It is a river bank, but at an elevation close to 1000 metres and I would not describe it as open.

I would describe it more as an arboreal butterfly, preferring high trees by the stream. When it does land, it is generally with its wings together and generally out of reach. I was thinking that I now have an extra ten minutes a day available to me, but there are several more birdwing type butterflies in this same area that I have not captured yet.

There are several top class butterfly blippers who would just love to have a crack at this beauty. My dream would be to blip a rajah Brooke's birdwing in the wild, I have seen them in butterfly parks, but its just not the same - one day it will happen, I will make it so.

Dave