The Butterflies and the Bees

Mud-puddling is a behavior common to both our toddlers and Mother Nature’s butterflies.

Butterflies will often gather in large numbers at particular mud puddles.  Once there, the butterflies will poke around in the mud with great earnest.  Similarly, bees will sometimes congregate around rich, moist soils that have been exposed for them.

They have a reason.

Puddles, rich soils, and on occasion (my apologies to breakfast readers) manure are sources of nutrients not provided by the nectar of flowers.  Sodium is a big draw here.

On our drive through the mountains the other day, that girl and I met a water-filled rut at the edge of the road encircled almost entirely by dozens upon dozens of wing-flexing northern blue butterflies.  As we carefully crept past, the butterflies abruptly ascended into several frenzied blue swirls alongside us.  

Yesterday, while exploring along the edge of the Missouri River just below Hauser Dam, we encountered another cluster butterflies at a gravel bar a few paces from the river.

This gathering was exceedingly interesting.

Tiger swallowtails, pale swallowtails, a single black swallowtail, and several honeybees had gathered into a tight cluster atop one small patch of gravel.  The gathering seemed almost fluid with all the jostling between butterflies and the arriving and departing bees.

Posted is a photograph I captured of the gathering upon first encounter.  If you look carefully you can see one of the honeybees near the top of the congregation.

--Mitchell Hegman