Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
lvtgrdn

My Butterfly Day (8/1/08)

lvtgrdn
15 years ago

I'm new here, and have posted a time or two. I posted this on the Cottage Gardening forum, but I don't think most of you are on that, and since I don't see Nell there much lately, I thought I'd post it here, too. I have been gardening for many years, and mentioned on a previous post about rue, that I like to pick plants that butterflies like, but want to be more intentional about host plants for caterpillars. Also, I am trying to learn to identify butterflies, but the ones I see, I don't always find in the books I have. Here's what I posted:

My Butterfly Day

Posted by lvtgrdn 5 (My Page) on Fri, Aug 1, 08 at 22:21

Wow! I saw more butterflies today than all week combined! What a blessing! It started out first thing this morning before I had my camera out. I saw two Monarchs, and they ended up eating next to each other on my white flowering Asclepias (milkweed). I so badly wanted to get my camera, but I knew they would be gone before I got back. I just enjoyed watching them awhile.

Next, I watered pots in the backyard and saw a very pretty butterfly that was a little smaller than the Monarchs and not a Swallowtail, which is what I have the most of around here. I couldn't remember it well enough to find it in my books later.

Later, I took my camera out and saw what I think is an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. Here are some shots of it:

{{gwi:447670}}
{{gwi:447671}}
Another one flew over to the butterfly bush, but they didn't want to pose together. This is the other one:

{{gwi:447672}}

I also saw quite a few little blue butterflies a little smaller than the cabbage whites, but they flew too fast for me to take their pics. I also saw more Monarchs. It looks like we also have the Viceroys here, but I'm pretty sure these are Monarchs I'm seeing. They were too far away for me to take pics of. I was about to go in to fix supper, when I saw a Black Swallowtail in my back yard. About the time I was going to take pics, DH brought 7 month old GS out because he had awaken from his nap and was getting fussy. He is never fussy outside, but he's wiggly. I took lots of photos holding him, and was able to come up with a few OK ones, not that I'm great without that excuse. LOL I erase more than I keep anyway. It's on Lantana:

{{gwi:447673}}
{{gwi:447674}}

After supper, I looked out and thought I saw two swallowtails flying together, but when I went out, I just saw one, and part of its "tail" was gone. I noticed a bird landed near by, and at one point, the butterfly was flying, and the bird flew toward it, then turned away as the butterfly flew toward me. It occurred to me that it was probably the bird I saw with it as I was walking out the door, and I at least temporarily saved the butterfly. I don't know what will happen with part of its wing off. I took its pic, but on a different camera, and didn't upload those to WebShots. I may later.

I hope you are all enjoying your gardens and butterflies, even though it's on the warm side,

Sue

Comments (2)

Sponsored
Premier Home Services, Inc
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars19 Reviews
Loudoun County Complete Turn-Key Contracting Solutions