my word russell. things are really heating up for you there. Not seeing much here. 90 a few days ago, 50 and windy over the weekend. BUT, I bought a bunch of butterfly plants, so I'm all ready!
Daily Butterfly Pictures #86
another great pic russell
Russell, are those yellow trumpet vines as prolific as the Campsis radican orange trumpets?
I don't have any experience with the orange trumpets so I can't really answer that accurately. The yellow ones are actually spilling over my fence from the neighbors yard - they die back during the winter, but re-emerge in spring with a vengeance. I allow them to grow on my side of the fence because I like watching the hummers, but I have to do some shaping to keep them in bounds. They send out runners all over my yard, so I perform a constant vigil of cutting and pulling to avoid being taken over. It also tries to to grow through the cracks in the fence, but I just cut those before they get started. I did notice one orange bloom yesterday in the mass of yellow flowers, so I guess they are intermingling. Occasionally, a wild moon flower vine pops up and winds its way over the trumpet vine...now that is when things get interesting...haha. There were several GSTs lunching on the trumpet vine yesterday afternoon along with some large orange sulphurs. It seems that we get better BF visits when the wind is blowing from the north. Both of the best days I have had this spring have been after a "cold" front (wind shift).
I have also noticed that butterflies in my neighborhood are most active from about 10:00am-4:00pm. No real early morning risers and very few late comers. I guess they sleep in and roost early at my house!
Russell
Think I saw a red-spotted purple last week. Had a dark one flitting around the yard! This may be a disappointing year....
Russell, would it be possible, when you are pulling vine starts from your yard, for you to send me a few? I would love to have a yellow one. I'll pay your postage. I'm in the address exchange or can dmail you.
Crit
Russell, that does not surprise me about the hours. When i monitor butterflies (for our state's monitoring project), it has to be between the hours of 10 and 3:30.
Nanny, i'm worried about that too. The heavy snow cover was setting us up for a good year, but then this cool, wet spring does not make for a great year. Sigh.
With the cutting of the trees in Mexico and our massive Texas wildfires, floods and tornados all across the country it may be a bad year for almost everyone!
Nanny...good to see you posting, I would love to get a RSP in my yard. Frostweed and Debnes have seen them so they are here in our area some years.
I've been seeing a lot of Azures lately. Not too much of anything else. Though I did see a female tiger swallowtail today.
I haven't been outside much - it's just way too hot. But on my way to the car I've been seeing Gulf Fritillaries and Duskywings. We got a much needed thunderstorm today so here's hoping we're getting into our regular summer pattern of rainy afternoons. Although Mom's been great about watering all the nectar flowers I planted outside her office, she could probably use a break.
Same here Mrs. Ed. Cabbage Whites are running second, a Painted Lady, a Hairstreak, 1 Monarch and a black winged BF but not much else. Of coarse, my head is mostly concentrating in the other direction as weeding has been my focus thus far this season.
Azure
Another Azure
I've noted several Black Jewelwing Damsel Flies. Male -
Female -
I have the same Mrs. Ed....lots of Azures, some Cabbage Whites now and Silver Spotted Skippers. Do see lots of TST flying around. I planted some marigolds yesterday so will see if they draw of the little skipper in.
SS Skippers like purple flowers.
I've seen SS Skippers cover Anise Hyssop and Purple Coneflower but those are both good nectar plants anyway. Dad's into woodturning and today he was turning a camphor bowl and had a butterfly do several sweeps through the garage. I'm betting it was a Spicebush ST as they use camphor as a host and the smell when he gets to turning is crazy! It's like walking into a Vicks Vapo-Rub steam bath with this heat and humidity. Clears your sinuses right up!
Melanie
h! good to know. maybe he can have people with sinus conditions pay him to hang out in your garage.
Red-spotted Purple this morning. The lens was still a little foggy from going into the heat/humidity.
and for anyone looking for the red spots on that RSP…
Nice catch Mrs. Ed getting those spots! lol It is awful out....I walked the dog at 8:30 this morning and it was already muggy.
Ya, and there was no wind at all this morning, which I suppose is good for butterflies, but really is not fun when it's so hot and humid. At least now there's a strong breeze.
oooo....saw a Red-spotted Purple this morning on our walk!! Lots of Silver spotted Skippers too...
I have seen these guys around, but finally got one pix to share. Grey Hairstreak?
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Beautiful flowers with that butterfly!
Jack, indeed beautiful. I can see the Lollipops lilies, aliums? Mints, and sunflower about to bud out?
I am impatiently waiting for more butterflies in the garden. So I adopted these different "butterflies" for now. Blue butterflies.
wow, what is THAT plant?
It's a tropical Clerodendrum blue. I found the plant in bloom before memorial day, and I'm tickled pink. It's a species and I found a ripe seed I sowed the seed that I found. If it germinate Mrs. Ed. I'll collect seeds to share.
lovely. I'm sure I couldn't take care of it here though. So beautiful it looks fake.
LOL....I thought it was fake too....very cool!
Yipppeeee!!!!! Found 3 BST cats this morning on my walk!!! They are 3 different instars too so that is cool. I am going to cool of and then go look for some more before the rain comes. So there have have been some BST out and about being busy!
From yesterday morning....one of many Silver Spotted Skippers I saw.
And I saw a Hackberry Emperor too yesterday!
Wooohooo! Nan you've got some great shots. The pix of the butterflies plant is that good heh? Maybe I need to add it to plant file. Marna, it's indeed challenging to try to nourish a tropical person or plant in North America. lol. A question for Nan. How big is that Hackberry Emperor. I think I saw one in my garden sometimes last week, I rushed for the camera, but it was gone by the time I returned. :((
I think you're doing splendidly, LL!
I have a tropical that I bring in and put under grow lights. It's that Firespike. But I dont' think I'd try anything more than that.
That plant is absolutely GORGEOUS .... I agree, it looks fake. Just spectacular!
Lily_love, Clerodendrum blue - uncanny resemblance to a BF, definately a candidate for PF inclusion. Also, you are right on in ID of plants in my photo.
J
Same swallowtail getting dusted by lily pollen.
J, thanks. I'll sort out some pix to add ...
That's one gorgeous, timely capture of the Swallowtail. I'm gonna chase butterfly this evening -- again -- should the weather cools down. It's too hot outside!
Lily...you must add your pix!! If you get any seeds I would love to try one!! The Hackberry is similar in size to a Painted Lady or Red Admiral.
Meant to add...I went back out and found 4 more BST cats...so I have 7 as of right now!
This message was edited Jun 9, 2011 2:04 PM
well it is officially summer for you then!