Wow! Great purple hairstreaks are such beauties - congrats, congrats! I haven't seen one in years, since before the hurricane, I think. I even considered trying to get mistletoe to grow on some of my oak trees, until I realized it would eventually kill the tree. Hmmm....now that I think about it, there are a few oak trees here that have been pitiful looking since Katrina - maybe they're good candidates for mistletoe, if I can just figure out how to "administer" the seeds!

Sherry formerly known as misssherry

Oh my gosh, thanks for posting this--I've never seen one either. Just stunning, and your fellow looks very fresh...

Thank you! He stayed around and posed for quite some time. I got tons of pictures. i haven't had time to go through them yet to find the best ones.

It's been a terrific butterfly day in my yard. All at the same time, I had 4 monarchs, 4 painted ladies, 3 cabbage whites, the great purple hairstreak, 1 male black swallowtail, and numerous kinds and quantities of skippers. I also have 8 baby monarch caterpillars now (inside in my "nursery.")

Makes my heart happy. :-)

~Laura

Beautiful, Laura. You must have mistletoe close by. I think these are one of the prettiest little guys around.

Thank you so much for sharing your lovely photos. I've never seen one of these little guys, either, and he's a beauty! As Miss Sherry, err, MissButterfly says, congrats, congrats. :-)

~Mary

Thank you everyone! It was definitely an exciting moment. :-) I have had time to go through my pictures now and think I have found a few that are better.

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He definitely seemed to prefer the butterfly weed. He would go to the lantana and stay for a bit, but would always end back up on the b.w.

~Laura

Back before the hurricane, an aberrant, white-bodied GPH visited. I got this picture -
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And here's my best picture of a normal one -
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I sure wish they'd return!

Sherry

Sherry, you can say definitely that the first photo is in Black and White!! LOL!

Gorgeous photos, Laura, and I am so envious! I have mistletoe in the trees around me - across the street, and keeping hoping I will see one. I think they must hang around in the rural areas, close to streams, rivers, lakes????? I don't often see any of these butterflies that prefer that habitat, like the Viceroys and RSPs, for instance.

I am seeing lots of Monarchs, hairstreaks, skippers, and a lone Buckeye. The Monarchs are NOT laying eggs, though.

Susan

Sherry - beautiful pictures! I really love the black and white one. I am not sure I would have ever figured out what it was since there is no picture in the Kaufman field guide! I'm still such a newbie at all of this!

Susan, I live smack in the middle of Tulsa - but my neighborhood does have several large green belt areas - one large one complete with two ponds and a stream, lots of trees, etc. So maybe that's why it was here?

I have had lots of Monarchs, but am just now really seeing eggs and baby hatchlings. I have captured 13 hatchlings and have them inside in my make-shift "nursery." Yesterday I saw a female laying eggs all over the place, so hopefully I'll have more (and have enough to feed them all.) Trying to decide what my limit will be...

~Laura

oh, we get those in Minnesota all the time! haha kidding. what a beautiful butterfly....happy for your find! Tony

It was back today!

I haven't seen one since 2009 about this time of year! Here is the only pic I have so far on my garlic chives...
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I have mistletoe growing in some of my native cedar elms & have left it there just for these beautiful BFs!
Did you get to see his wings open? They are such a beautiful irridescent blue! GORGEOUS!!!

The Garlic Chives really attract butterflies, but it blooms for such a short, short time, doesn't it?

Laura, I'm so glad to see you say that you are just now seeing eggs and hatchlings! I have collected 3 or 4, and that's all, even tho I have both male and female Monarchs - about 7 yesterday - on the Sunflowers again. They are very "fresh" looking, so not old and worn looking butterflies. I keep wondering why they aren't laying eggs. My Tropical Milkweed is looking great - aphid free for once. So, I am totally ready for them.

Yesterday, I had a Mourning Cloak in the yard on the banana feeder. Very worn looking. I love these gorgeous butterflies. They are bold and unafraid. I remember photographing one a few years ago, and whenever I wanted a pic with open wings, I just tapped her on the wings and she'd open them. Fearless!

I think I would pass out if I ever saw a GPH! What a wonderful sight.

Susan