Papilio machaon syriacus...one of our local Swallowtails :-)
Taken today March 19 :-)....the first time I've even spotted this one in well over a year and the first time ever that I've been able to get a pic of it :-)
-Julie
A swallowtail and an unknown
Here's the unknown that I took today. I can't really see his antennae so I don't know if it's a butterfly or a moth, but I suspect it's a moth. It was about 3/4 of an inch across. It let me take 2 pics and didn't seem concerned as it lay very inconspicuously on this leaf :-) Then I left it alone....
-Julie
The swallowtail is beautiful -- and, from what little I know, the other is a moth. Do you get any hummingbirds in Modi'in?
Hummers are native to the Americas. We do have Sunbirds (Nectarinia osea) which also drink nectar and can hover like hummers do. They are my favorite little garden visitors and bring me a lot of joy throughout the year :-)
This message was edited Mar 19, 2005 8:45 PM
Great shots, Julie. Does the sunbird assume that position very often?
That's a beautiful butterfly! My book says it's an Old World Swallowtail. I couldn't get the pic of the moth to enlarge. ? I didn't know that you didn't have hummers there! (I learned something new today) Your Sunbird has gorgeous colors! Feel free to share more pics of those!
Show her the one 'singing his little heart out'! Which book do you use, kkb?
John, yes, the little guys are really flexible LOL. They're constantly turning this way and that looking all around them. Check out this guy. You can't see much detail as it's silhouetted, but you can see how his legs are contorted strangely.
I am getting the picture. :-) They seem to have a lot of character. I would really like to see them in action!
I'll see if I can get a short video uploaded to my site. I've got videos, but most are pretty long and I don't yet know how to shorten the video clips. If it's sunny tomorrow, I'll get a video of them hopping around on their favorite Salvia. In any case, I'll let you know when it's uploaded. Their song is awfully cute too :-)
-Julie
WOW
John I haven't forgotten you. But during the only opportunity I had over the past 2 days, the little guys weren't in the garden. After the kids' birthday on Monday I'll have more time to relax and spend enjoying the sunbirds....and I WIL get a video for you. I promise!
-Julie
No rush.
I'll have to rework my technique with the camera John. I got a wonderful video (or so I thought) of 4 Sunbird males showing off and trying to impress a young lady Sunbird. One of them was at the top of a tree singing like I've never heard them sing before....nonstop fast paced twitter twitter twittering for a good solid 3 minutes....then he'd fly off zip zap zoom and back again to show off or pretend tussle with one or more of the other males. It was hilarious. But then when I came inside to see the video on the computer, all I could hear was the rush of traffic or the neighbor down the street weed eating his garden. I guess the little guys song was too high frequency and too far away for the camera to pick up properly. I'll try again and next time I'll try to get up closer.
In any case, I just wanted you to know I still haven't forgotten. Tomorrow I'll be on the go all day with doctors appts for the kids, birthday parties, packing etc....and then Friday morning early we'll be leaving for the Dead Sea. So I probably won't get back to this project til next week.
-Julie
I am not in a rush. ;-)
Hi..We call this Koninginnepage butterfly (Papilio machaon). Overhere in Limburg it is seen but not commonly...still rare and protected of course.. They love this part of Netherlands because our landscape has many hills. In our region we formerly had a coalmines industry also..these butterflies make their babys on the top of the huge leftover coalmountains and return to the valleys to lay their eggs. Our climate is in summertime also a little warmer as in other parts of Netherlands. But the fun thing is ...because of the coalmine industry..we have many old railtracks that are not used anymore. Along these tracks always have and still are grown flowers that are the host of their caterpillars: like Anthriscus sylvestris aka Wild chervil...they love most plants of Apiaceae family like cellery, sweet cicely.. So that 's why they prefer this part of Netherlands ..In my garden I always find caterpillars at Valerian and Sweet Fennel that I special grow for them..When I have babies I 'll post pics because they are pretty too.
Thanks for your post Saya :-). I haven't had any caterpillars of this one yet. I'd be really happy if they one of the butterflies did lay her eggs in my garden, but I think I'll have to add something they like because I don't have any of the plants you mentioned LOL. I'll look forward to seeing pics from you if you get caterpillars :-)
-Julie
Hi Julie..they prefer anything of the "carrot family"..you maybe could grow some dill..they 'll love this and it is a wonderfull herb in the kitchen..Sweet Fennel is yummy too.
Hi saya! Hope we see you often in this forum. My grandparents emigrated from Friesland. Where is Heerlen? Julie, the cats also eat parsley.
Yes..I 'll visit this forum more then I did before..I 've did 'nt take good notice of it because I cannot post as much as you can do...your flora and fauna is much more richer then we have..wish we had hummers overhere too! About two years ago I 've sighted my first hummingbird-moth...probably as a result of global warming our fauna and flora changes ..I 've seen one this february..so I guess it has overwintered here..I hope to see them more often..they are not easy to take pics from though..
Heerlen is in the south-east of Netherlands..I live very close to the German and Belgian border. Our landscape is more hilly because we 're closer to Ardennen and Eiffel mountains.
Yes. they like parsley too Julie ..
Parsley....cool! Although DH probably won't think it's cool when I tell him the cats are eating the parsley for his salads LOL ;-) hehehe
-Julie
:-)
John