Dale, thank you so much for correcting my Swallowtail photo. I initially ID'd it as a dark form female ET, but was overruled by a couple of friends who are more educated on butterflies than I am. I'm happy to see I was right all along. Thank you! :-)
Carla
DAILY BUTTERFLY PICS Page 81
Mrs_Ed, here's another shot. I went out with the dogs and took the camera and I wasn't disappointed...
Holy moly Di - that sedum in really bringing in some butterfly action!!! Lucky you!
Our butterfly action is finally picking up out here - we could still use rain - there are places that haven't gotten any...like the danged ranch!!! I planted a bunch of mistflower plants there about three weeks ago - and have to give them a good soaking every weekend. Need rain - so they'll get established and make it on their own!!!
Lots of Large Orange Sulphurs on the wing and Giant Swallowtails in the yard with gobs of caterpillars on the tangerine tree - Gulf Frits are a given! Keep waiting for the fall season - I have a feeling it's going to be a great season for us.
...by the way - the NBC (National Butterfly Center) is under construction - hopefully the visitor's center will be finished - we're anticipating a grand opening in October if all goes well.
If anyone is interested the 9th Biennial Members' meeting will be held down here in Mission, TX October 28-31st. http://www.naba.org/meeting.html
~ Cat
You didn't get any rain from that last storm, Cat?
Love that Ironweed! I have seeds for Tall Ironweed, but maybe I'll plant this one instead!
I have both. It's probably a mix in there blooming.....wouldn't surprise me!
I got a measely 1/2 inch of rain one day last week. Yet, my uncle five miles away got 3.5 inches of rain!!! Not a drop at the ranch which is 45 miles away. Go figure!
On a good note - the hummingbird population is picking up. From having only two hang around throughout the summer I now have nine. They showed up last week. A mix of buff bellied and ruby throated all forever zipping around fighting over the feeders. I have three feeders up and they still squeak and chase each other :o) Love to watch them!
terry.....the Monarch shots are great....now send them packing it's migration time! LOL!
Dale...I figured you might have postponed. Glad you only got a scare and rain. I saw where there had been storm damage and flooding in a lot of places near Dallas.
Great pictures everyone....really love those two buckeyes.
Red Spotted Purple
Monarch
Between jmorth, Mrs_Ed and now Terryr; I am going to have to put IL on a vacation list for Aug/Sept some year. You guys are really cooking there.
I got a Monarch tagging kit this year. It is time that I can start tagging now, and I saw my first one yesterday but didn't have a net. I forgot to get it...doing that today.
This message was edited Sep 10, 2010 6:06 AM
Good Deal Shelia. I should do that. Then you could look for my butterfly.
Or just have fun doing it!
yah!
So I can't remember if I've told you all or not, but next year I'm planning on putting in a butterfly garden outside of the city. It's a new facility for the wastewater treatment plant. It's still under construction now and won't be operational for about a year, but my husband said yesterday that there were tons of Monarchs out there yesterday, just flitting around! That was good news to hear. If they are there with not many flowers, they should be there with lots of them.
Has anyone seen any roosts yet?
Quiet Day here for all butterflies. A bit windy… just a couple of monarchs and cabbage whites.
We had a lot of Monarchs still here today. Thanks Sheila, usually my pictures aren't so good. I'm getting better...lol...
Marna, if you tell me what a roost is, I'll tell you if I've seen any. Not a clue ;p
Alright, you all know my skills at ID are really bad. Looking up in my trusty book, and looking at gardens with wings dot com, to me, it sure looks like a Hoary Edgy Skipper. One problem. They aren't supposed to be in this area. So I don't know what it is. Help! Today was sunny and I couldn't see what the heck I was taking a picture of. I felt really lucky to get this shot.
terry - it's a Silver Spotted Skipper. They seem to be abundant in some areas this time of the year. They are nice big skippers!!! Alas, one of the few we don't get down here :o(
Are you sure?? LOL In the book, it sure doesn't look like a Silver Spotted Skipper. I don't know, mine shows so much yellow, it just didn't look like that one. BUT, I don't know nuthin, so I will trust you ;p This skipper is really big. In one shot I managed to get the Silver Spotted and either a Peck's or a Fiery Skipper. It's strange to think that's they're both skippers!
This picture isn't the best, but it's the one with both skippers in it.
This is blurry. Is it the same thing? Looks different to me. Ironweed is very popular.
Definitely a Silver Spotted Skipper.
Dale Clark
Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society
www.dallasbutterflies.com
Thanks Dale!!
I'm never going to be able to ID these butterflies I'm seeing :-(
Terryr:
Of course you will. It just takes practice and you're well on your way. One of the really nice things about digital cameras is that you can "practice" all the time if you want. Go out in the yard, snap a bunch of pictures and then id them later. Pretty soon you'll be id-ing them in the yard without the camera.
Dale Clark
Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society
www.dallasbutterflies.com
LOL Terry, Like I've told you, you'll get better. Love the silver spotted skippers. You should get lots of them on that ironweed, they like purple.
I do Dale, I do!! Take pictures I mean. But I can't, I can't!! ID them I mean. My eyes see one thing, and you guys tell me something different. I'll keep practicing though, I promise. Some are so easy and some, well, some are just so darn hard.
Marna, I didn't know they could see color? The purple of the ironweed and golden color of the goldenrod looks really striking together. And no. Solidago, goldenrod, doesn't make you sneeze. It's pollinated by insects. The pollen doesn't fly thru the air, that's an old wives tale.
Now ragweed that blooms about the same time is another story!!
Terry, it does get easier to ID with time. Soooo many Silver-spotted Skippers here right now.
I planted some solidago once. Could not convince my DH it was NOT the same as ragweed!
Nice skippers!
Yah, goldenrod gets such a bad rap because of ragweed, which is really inconspicuous. I had it in the back yard once. I thought the leaves were a nice texture, so I let it grow. It got big and then I discovered what is was! D'oh!!!!
Ah, but even the lowly ragweed has a butterfly use. It's a great host plant for Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia). Of course, so are a lot of other things, so avoid an allergy attack.
Dale Clark
Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society
www.dallasbutterflies.com
HA! Well that was before I was really into butterflies. I've got the pellitory, false nettle and narrow-leaf plantain growing in the garden now. If we got bordered patches up here, I might consider the ragweed, lol!
Red Admiral and Skipper on aster.
Monarch on Sunflower
Couple of Skippers
Summer Azure on red Rudbeckia
Nice collection Jack. It always cracks me up to see two butterflies on one tiny flower… as if it is the only one in the yard.
Looks like you have lots going on there!
I finally had success with a monarch! The last one eclosed this morning. This has been a less than satisfying experience with the monarchs. But I did learn from it...so not a total loss.
nanny, now your Silver Spotted Skippers look like mine! Those that were on the sedum, didn't look anything like mine. Not enough yellow, or something. I'm trying, I really am.
I have allergies anyway, so if somehow ragweed got in here, it probably wouldn't make that big of a difference.
I still have Monarch's on the ironweed. There was something else, black is all I saw, then it was off. I hope it comes back so I can see what it was.
Shelia, I think I have some good news for you! I went out to one of my fave places, Spring Slough and saw the most Monarchs I've ever seen. Maybe I was just in the right place at the right time. I should go back there this evening and see if they are roosting. Terri, roosting is where they all huddle together on a tree for the evening. Keeps them warm.
Roosting is also a good sign of migration. Send them on we are ready!
The batteries are dead, dead, dead in my camera. I have at least 6 Monarchs that I can tell, out there on my ironweed. They get behind it, so there's probably more. But I can't get a picture because I don't have any more batteries.
ah. time to invest in rechargeables! ;)
and spares!! lol
This is my Monarch that I released today....
