Spring Azures

One of my favorite signs of spring is seeing my very first spring azure butterfly. There is a whole family of small blue butterflies--they are about the size of a dime--but the earliest ones we see here on the Cape are simply called spring azures by most people. I think that technically they are eastern spring azures. Usually they land and keep their wings closed so I was lucky to catch this one with open wings.The bottom picture shows the azure with its wings closed and you can see how well camouflaged it is like this.
I often see the azures when I find mayflowers but I am not sure if they nectar on these sweet flowers. You may also see them around blooming crow berry and other blossoms close to the ground at this time.

Watch for these tiny but lovely butterflies along sunny paths at the edge of woodlands or even inside the woodlands before the leaves come out. You may often see several "dancing" through the sunlight, a happy sight for winter tired eyes.