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By Margaret Renkl
Ms. Renkl, a contributing Opinion writer, reports from Nashville on flora, fauna, politics and culture in the American South.
The sharp-eyed birds lift into flight the moment you open the door. The canny squirrels and darting lizards are up a tree at the first oof of your footfall. To study such cautious creatures, you need a quiet nature and a willingness to sit very still. Short of that, a window will do. Hardly anyone is willing to sit very still these days, but the impulse to gaze idly out a window remains a reliable human trait.
Butterflies, on the other hand, require no window to hide behind, no silence or stillness. September is high butterfly season here in Middle Tennessee, and these lovely creatures have more urgent work to do than keeping track of us. For local butterflies, it’s the final opportunity to mate and leave behind a new generation. For migrators flying south, it’s the last chance to feed and move on before cold catches them up.
