Weekly Photos from Conservation Media: Spring Thaw

The battle between winter and summer is favoring summer right now. The snowmelt from the Bitterroot Mountains is roaring down each and every canyon, and icicles are beginning to give way to warm sunlight.

While old, haggard, overwintering butterflies have been aloft for weeks, the first new butterflies of the year are appearing, such as this Sheridan’s Hairstreak (Callophrys sheridanii). The buckwheats, its host plant, are just now putting out leaves to be consumed by the tiny caterpillars.

The snow on the talus field creates the water which ultimately reduces the rocks that line the creek bed. We found entertaining compositions in the process.

The accumulation of water swells the canyon bottleneck as it makes its way to the Bitterroot River, and ultimately the Pacific.