This is a butterfly species I've wanted to photograph for many years. It finally happened this afternoon. At noon when the sun broke through the clouds I spontaneously decided to head out to Stony Swamp by bike, something I rarely do in the afternoon because of a road crossing that can be impossible during rush hour. When I got out there I came across this Milbert's Tortoiseshell absorbing minerals from the trail. I tried several times to get a photo of it on the trail but I could never get on the right side of the butterfly to get the angle of light I wanted. Then the one and only time I did get the angle I wanted the butterfly kept its wings shut! Eventually the butterfly disappeared and I went elsewhere.
 
This butterfly species is not uncommon but for some reason I've had terrible luck with them. I only saw my first of this species this spring. After 20 minutes of wandering around elsewhere, seeing Canadian Tiger Swallowtails, Ebony Jewelwings, and lots of newly emerged European Skippers, I returned to the area where I saw this butterfly and it was back on the trail absorbing minerals. In the 20 minutes I was gone the skies went from clear to overcast and the temperature had dropped. This made the butterfly easier to approach and gave me more angles to get a photo from. I was able to get a decent photo of the butterfly on the trail. Then, when I tried to move to a better angle so I could get a great photo, the butterfly took off and perched upon a dead snag beside the trail. That's when this photo was taken.