I saw the most beautiful Red Admiral perched on my lavender chive blooms yesterday. I thought "geez, why don't you have your camera!" Tried to get my phone out of my pocket, but he didn't stay long enough. I hope he comes back!
I got all the ingredients for Butterfly Brew and am going to mix some of that up today. I saw in a gardening magazine that was at the Dr.'s office that showed to make a butterfly watering hole. (I told the doc upon leaveing I loved that mag, hoping she would tell me 'take it home', but she didn't. I've looked for it and haven't found it anywhere. Anyway, you sink a large plant tray (terra cotta or plastic) making the top even with the soil. Fill it with sand and keep it watered. Then when they are looking for a place to drink, hopefully they will go there as it will have moisture when there aren't any puddles. I'm going to put some brew on top of it too. Hope it works!
Daily Pictures #94
Mom and Dad both spotted a Zebra Longwing today on my jatropha so they're definitely back in the neighborhood! I also saw a Polydamas fly overhead but couldn't get a picture. I did get nice pictures of a Gulf Frit on Tampa Verbena and a Spicebush ST on my pentas.
Melanie
I went to an orchid open house and the Bromeliad Guild's show and sale today and boy, am I tired! But I got some great plants at great prices so I'm happy. I even picked up 3 small bronze fennel plants for $5 (that's total, not each)! It's getting ready to rain today so the butterflies are being watchful, but I did spot the usual Monarchs and my faithful Duskywings.
Melanie
A few from today. They seem to enjoy the North wind.
Russell
nice to see more and more BF photo here!
I spent 5 hours at the Herbal Affair Festival here in SS. They have something like 100 venders set up booths. I got 4 big grocery bags full of plants. That was my limit. When they all got full (across the bottom!) it was time to go home. But is sure was a good time! I have some nice plants that I've never had to work with now. Prices are really reasonable like mellie said. I think the most I spent on a plant was $4 for a couple Scented Geranium. Chocolate and Mint. I have a citronella and love it! Most were $2-3.
I went out to pick milkweed and ended up bringing in seven more Monarch cats. It's getting a little ridiculous here. My yard looks like some kind of butterfly sanctuary, which I suppose it is.
Tomorrow I head down to Sarasota for their bromeliad club's show and sale! Three plant sales in two days - can I handle it? More importantly, can my wallet handle it, LOL!
Melanie
You poor girls having to trudge back and forth to plant sales. :D
I have our master gardener plant sale on the calendar and nothing else. I go and take home all the "weeds" on the last day. One year they made fun of me my car was so full I could hardly drive.
I don't think I'll have room for that much this year. Maybe I'll go on the first day and see if I can score anything fancy instead. I need some yellows for Max's memory garden - have almost too much white if that's possible! I am looking for some Chrysogonum virginianum (misspelled probably sorry) Green and Gold. It's a low growing native ground cover. I think that will work very nicely because it does shade and will spread.
I released another butterfly yesterday. This variable weather makes it rough for a newly emerged BST I think, but let nature take it's course, as we say. ;)
Have a great day! No pictures, but I did also see a painted lady zig zagging thru the yard yesterday.
A.
p.s. growing bronze fennel from seed this year - Rue too!
For those of you in the north Texas/Oklahoma area -- now is the time to put out some rotted fruit if you want to see Mourning Cloaks. There are more on the wing than I can remember seeing in quite some time. No need to mix up any "brew" -- just put out the fruit; just peel a piece back so they can get to the juicy part. Make it easy on yourself. These beauties are not to be missed.
Dale Clark
Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society
www.dallasbutterflies.com
Thanks Dale for the tip on the aged fruits for the M.C. I'll keep that in mind with the left-over fruits.
Lily_love:
They should be flying now in central Alabama now as well.
Dale
lepfarmer; Usually I only see three or four mourning cloaks during the year. Had seen one during February two years ago while there was snow on the ground.Feeding on a big blue hyacinth it was.
I'm glad there doing well where you are.
More visitors today!
What a great weekend.
Russell
Great photos! We had a rainy morning (and I was at a Bromeliad sale) and the afternoon has been quite windy so today was not so good for butterflies. But I've still had Monarchs flying around the house as usual. Other than that, I'm still waiting for Giant ST and now my Polydamas ST to emerge. I'll have photos when they do!
Melanie
yakmon; Is that second photo a checkerspot,have only one here that I see from time to time, If it is that is ,IT'S a rare live still for me.A TREAT INDEED!!
And nice photo's OH YEAHHH !!!!!
I think the second one is a phaon crescent. I did see a couple of tropical checkerspots today, but never could get a good photo of them. They were very spooky today for some reason. I didn't notice any of these crescents around last year, but I have several new varieties of flowers around this year and they seem to be attracted to them. They were particularly interested in the coreopsis and coneflower (clasping?)...not sure of the id on the flower in the second picture.
Melanie - looking forward to the ST photos. I haven't seen any GST or BSTs yet, just the pipevines so far...not that I am complaining!
Russell
The images are stunning Russell. Thanks for the wonderful colors on this dreary day in the southeast.
A.
Boys! Isn't the weather really dreary here in the SE! I saw some Swallowtails and Red spotted purple I think, windy and cooler here. Oh Dale, thank you for the tip. Russell nice photos!
I made up some brew this morning. I have 2 butterfly watering holes that I poured it ove and also a plate hanging in a plant hanger from a tree that I put some on. It wasn't 15 minutes later and I walked by there startling up what I think was a ? or, . The silly thing landed on my chest where I could barely see it but the colors were amazing. Then it flew over to my shoulder. It was just so perfect, no ragged wings or anything. I little while later there was someting on one of the watering holes, but couldn't tell what it was. Didn't want to spook it away. I'm glad they've found it!
Speaking of finding brew… I think there are about 21 Red Admirals here. It's been crazy with them all over the area.
Another.
That's one terrific gathering there Mrs. Ed.
Wow. I can't imagine having that kind of draw here.
As I'm driving I've noticed common MW on a submerged streambed along one of our major roadways within a mile of my home. Not to mention our Arboretum is less than a mile away. I have some pretty stiff competition. I guess if I poured some beer over a stump with rotten fruit on it there's no telling what kind of crowd might show up. :D
Mourning Cloaks are everywhere around the Dallas/Ft. Worth area right now. Snapped this picture after flushing it up from the bananas I had in my bait trap. It settled for basking in the sunlight before slipping off back to the bananas a few minutes later.
Dale Clark
Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society
www.dallasbutterflies.com
Beautiful!
Agreed with Russell, it's indeed.
You guys are getting some awesome pretties. I've seen what I believe, was a UFO. ;) It flew by me to fast, that it surprised me. I wasn't expecting it, because it was quite a cold day. I've put some fruits out and will be waiting for it's next visit.
What a lovely photo of a lovely butterfly! I am a beginner at identifying many butterflies and now that I am more tuned in, I notice more and more. The dusky rose color of the butterfly in lepfarmers picture is one i have never seen. I wonder if it is possible to see in my area of east TN.? I see many of the blue colored mourning cloak. My Zinnias were quite a popular hangout with butterflies last year. So, I doubled the amount of them and added Cosmos, Liatris and Lantana for this year. Also after learning about host plants, I am offering parsley, dill and Milkweed (Syriaca). Perhaps they will enjoy a fruit plate too.
You're on your way Scarlet!
I love the mourning cloaks. they are so tough for me to photograph unless they are on the bait!
I had a couple of question marks on the brew yesterday too. Still big numbers of the Red Admirals. Crazy.
Do you put this concoction in the shade or sun . . . best placement? My luck I'll get nothing but horseflies and rats. :/
Mine is in the sun. I do get flies and bees to. Later in the year it's also common to see those yellow jackets. boo.
More and more butterflies are finding my hanging plate and the butterfly watering holes. I also put some brew on my railing and on some pieces of interesting wood I have set out in my flower bed. I'm so glad to see so many as there were so few last year!
Great shot of the MC Dale...the lighting was just right to pick up their beautiful coloring.
I just got back from a 4 day cruise and had left a banana in my car and pulled it out when we returned home. I cut it down the middle and took it out on the deck railing and got some action pretty quick. I guess in years past there weren't many around when I tried it. I put it in the brew basket later when I retrieved it.
Crit....save your time and effort with the butterfly puddles unless it is a natural place like a shoreline etc. they don't seem to be attracted. All I have ever drawn with it was mesquitoes!
Amanda...sun or part shade, once they find it there was no difference.
I have had good luck with my 2 puddles. Have had action on both of them as well as my hanging plate. One time I went out this morning I had 5 Red Admirals on the plate and 2 on the puddle in the shade. Trouble with one of them is it is right by the opening to go from the deck to the yard, so usually both the bf's and I get startled. lol Thinking of moving it down a way from where it is.
Sheila -
I went out of town a bit to a feed store to get some hay and found that they were selling birds (chickens, ducks, etc.) on consignment.
Aside from the fact that I was pissed off because of the way they were being kept, I found 2 black swallowtails puddling in a spot where droppings had built up and a water container was dripping!
I wondered if I put down some goat poo if I could attract puddlers too.
I have watched yellow jackets, honey bees, and birds of course - all looking for water this past week (before the rains!). I put some bigger rocks in my bird baths/cake pan watering holes so the bugs could have a safe place to land.
Call me crazy - yeah you're all crazy too. :P
Here are a couple pics of my bf puddles. The first one is the plate. It had 4 Red Admirals and a , or ? ... not sure which, on it before I could get the pic snapped.
The next one had another Red Admiral which flew up on the windmill and , or ? feeding that flew. But you can see 3 there.
I'm excited these are working well at my house!
Awesome! :)
Mom had the sad experience of actually seeing one of the parasitic wasps sting a Monarch cat today. She took off her shoe and killed the wasp and also put the caterpillar out of its misery. She said she almost cried it was so sad. At least she saved more of them from being stung.
Melanie
I had my first successful releases the last 2 days - 2 monarchs and 3 gulf fritillaries. I didn't get to see the fritillaries eclose...there are a few left, maybe I will take them to work today and watch them as they open.
Whoever suggested the pop up laundry hamper....thanks! My wife fashioned a top out of mesh fabric and elastic that just works great. She also installed a handy zipper on the side to allow my daughter to reach in...it is a little small for my arm, but definitely a good addition to the design. Happy butterflying.
Russell
Can you give us a picture of that pop up hamper converted?