'Saw my first American lady yesterday in a big patch of cudweed!
Sherry

Wow Misssherry thats some awesome sightings! I hope to be that successful when the wind dies down and the sun comes out here. looks like another cloudy and windy weekend here in Terrebonne Louisiana. Daylight savings Time should give me more viewing time after work.

Can you persuade your boss to let you come home during the middle of the day, butterflyaddict? Most of the butterfly activity is around noon time, especially if the sun is shining at that time. We've had a lot of cloudy/rainy days here, too. I get New Orleans TV stations, and the dry winter they talk about on their news (WWL and WDSU) hasn't occurred here. It looks like N.O. has been just south of the weather fronts most of the winter. Hopefully, Terrebonne Parish hasn't been as dry. It's been windy and mostly cloudy up here north of Wiggins, too, but the weather has over all been beautiful.
I saw a sleepy orange laying eggs all over the new growth on my Christmas cassias - she really loaded them up! So, as usual, SOs lay the first eggs of spring, at least the ones that I find.
Sherry

I wish, It should be mandatory 2hr lunch breaks. I'm still a rookie at this but I've done alot of research this winter and I hope to see the payoff this summer. I'm desperately trying to get the neighbors involved. We all have small yards and I'm giving them free plants. It hasn't been as dry as last year but we are bellow the average with our rainfall. The cloudless Sulphur has been hitting my tress pretty regular. But I cant seem to spot the cats. There is an orange and black bug in the trees that I suspect is eating them but I havent caught one red handed.

Terry

It was a warm winter here in Central Florida and I have never seen so many different butterflies. Yesterday I saw a Palamedes and a Tiger. I have been seeing Giants, Sulphurs, Monarchs, Pipevines and Fritillaries pretty much every day. It's incredible!

The Polydamas are around, but not in large numbers. The one butterfly that I have not seen in about a month is the Zebra Longwing. Last year I didn't see them until late May or June. This year I was seeing them in early January, but they have disappeared since then.

The state park near me did a controlled burn last autumn and now there are lots and lots of new Paw Paws. A few days ago I saw several Zebra Longwings there. I have never been able to attract them to my property in spite of the fact that I have many Paw Paws. I think I don't have the right type.

A very exciting February and March here in Central Florida. I wonder how many of you have had warm winters.

That's fantastic, Tom!
We had a warm winter here, too - I think the entire eastern 2/3 of the country had above normal temps.
I think you meant zebra swallowtail using the pawpaws? Zebra swallowtails are real rare here, even though I have the right pawpaws. I'd be green with envy if you get zebra swallowtail eggs/cats! :)
Sherry

Yes, Sherry, I meant Zebra Swallowtails. I saw two this morning on a bike ride through the park. They are the ones using the Paw Paws. They typically go very fast and one needs to be pretty close to see them. I also saw two large Palamedes this morning in the park.

A very unusual thing for me is to see so many Pipevines around. I guess my A. tomentosas are finally paying off.

I wish I had more time to spend on the yard, but I'm sure almost everyone here wishes that:)

Saw your post in the Hummingbird forum, Sherri. I had my first migrant about six days ago or so. It's very nice to have so many birds and butterflies around. The Cedar Waxwings are visiting now and the Purple Martins have returned.

Things are very good in Central Florida right now. As they say, "living the dream."

Yes, indeed! I've seen more butterflies than I've seen at this point in spring in years! There are two male hummingbirds visiting my feeders and flowers - the females should be here in another couple of weeks.
I saw my first tiger swallowtail today, then saw another one on the way to vote. The red admiral is continuing to hang around the false nettles, I saw another American lady (or maybe it's the same one) and on the way back from Walmart today, I saw what looked like a newly emerged male gulf frit. It was dark orange/red, but it was too far away for me to be sure what it was. Cloudless sulphurs are everywhere!
I've worked outside so much, my body is aching, but that's probably healthy.
It's 83 degrees now, enough to bring on perspiration!
Sherry

I've been outside working again, and I saw my first spicebush swallowtail nectaring on wild azaleas in the woods. I think I saw one earlier, but couldn't be sure. This one was definitely a male spicebush swallowtail.
I also saw an orange colored butterfly flitting high in my oldest pawpaw tree, maybe testing the flowers? It was shaped like a variegated fritillary, but might have been an American lady.
The temp got up to 86 degrees today!
Sherry

It got up to 84 here in OKC, MissSherry. I saw a Black Swallowtail and a Little Yellow today. We don't have as many butterflies yet as you do, but more than we normally see in March in any given year.

Lots of things are pushing up thru the ground, leafing out, blooming, or doing something spring-like. My 1st year Dicliptera suberecta is even coming up!

This is the earliest spring I ever recall.

Susan

It sure IS an early spring, feels more like late April or early May than mid-March, Susan!
"The" red admiral is actually "them" - I saw two of them in the main false nettle patch after I last posted.
It's supposed to get up to the mid-80's every day this week, so I'll be working outside a lot, and my plants should grow quickly in those temps.
Sherry

Miss Sherry, we recently moved into Mississippi off 43 10 miles S. of Bogalusa...........WOW!! the BF's are everywhere. Cloudless Sulfurs, Black swallowtails, tiger swallowtails, and so many more that I don't know the names of. I am getting back into bf'ing It's wonderful to be out in the Country !!!

Congrats, Mary! It is Mary, isn't it? I have to ask, because I've gotten some people confused on this forum.
You'll continue to love the country. Wildlife of all kinds is everywhere, and butterflies aren't the only type of insect you'll see here. There's another strange bug on the ceiling of my front porch now that I don't know what is - I need a good bug book.
Have you started a butterfly garden yet? Once you get your host plants going, if you get more cats than you can raise, maybe I can take some of them off your hands, and vice versa. We aren't that far from each other.
Again, congrats on moving to the country!
Sherry