Just got a new camera - and this is my first summer in my new house. I'm trying to learn about the butterflies (and other wee creatures) that visit my gardens. Most of the gardens are new; I planted a lot of perennials this spring. There were already many daffodils and other spring bulbs, as well as shrubs and mature trees in the yard.
Here are 3 visitors to my butterfly bush this morning.
What's the name of this cutie?
How beautiful this one is! I know it's some kind of swallowtail, but not sure which one.
I think this one is a tiger swallowtail, right?
Another one.
And one more...
lw, I'm going to leave the ID's to the experienced folks here. just wanted to say that your pics are outstanding!
gram
Beautiful pictures! We had one visit this morning as well. Don't they look like they are just way too big for the flowers? :)
Thank you! I was amazed at the detail I could capture with that camera. It isn't a terribly expensive one, as digital cameras go.
Here's another small one. I saw a Monarch fly by in the yard, but it didn't stop.
And you're so right, Indiana_lily; they definitely look way too big for those flowers! Sometimes, when there are several on one flower, the branch even starts to sag a bit!
What kind of camera did you get? The picture are wonderful! I have a great 35mm that I have loved for 10 years now, but I think I'm going to have to pull myself into the 21st century and buy a digital camera. We actually went yesterday to look at a few. The Canon Rebel XT was my favorite, but it is around $800.
wow 3 Tigers on one bloom. What a great pic
I know what you mean, happytail. I've had a Pentax 35 mm for probably 30 years. It still takes great photos, but I figured I should get a digital. I jst got the camera I used for those pics last week; it's a Nikon Coolpix L3, on sale at Wal-Mart for around $180. I used the macro function for most of the photos.
lwhalliday, I hope you get an ID on the one swallowtail with the blue - I have seen one of those three times now in the yard. He's the one the inspired me to buy the buddleia's today! Great pics, thank you for sharing.
-Sunny
the first Black Swallowtail looks like a Dark Tiger Swallowtail and the second one looks like a Spicebush
DonnaB,
The second dark swallowtail sure does look like a spicebush swallowtail - but it also looks like an Eastern Black Swallowtail. I went with the Eastern Black Swallowtail, since it doesn't have the markings on its body like the spicebush seems to have. I couldn't find a listing in the bug files for a Dark Tiger Swallowtail, so I looked it up online and found it here:
http://butterflybutterfly.com/photos%202.html
Sure looks like the same thing, doesn't it?
Thanks for helping with the ID!
Linda
here is my Eastern Black Swallowtail I just hatched
and here is a Tiger Swallowtail Dark Morph
Dark Tiger underside wings
Boy, the Eastern Black Swallowtail and the Spicebush look a lot alike, don't they? I can see the difference if I look at the underside of their wings. How else can you tell the difference? Remember, I'm a neophyte! LOL
lwhalliday,
DH finally got some good shots of the one that I think is the same as yours. I'll upload a couple. It looks like a flying jewel!
Edited to say: I think I've ID'd it - is it a Red Spotted Purple?
This message was edited Aug 18, 2006 11:31 PM
Another shot of the same beauty...
Thanks, Hineni, but now, I'm really confused! To my untrained, neophyte eyes they all look so similar! The coloring, the markings...all so similar...how does one tell them apart? I keep looking at the photos, but I'm missing something, I guess.
Well, Linda, I'm probably more new at this than you are...LOL. But yours have the swallowtail little extension at the base of the two lower wings (I don't know the 'official' term yet). Mine doesn't have that. So after looking at swallowtail pics, I figured mine was not a swallowtail.
As to narrowing your two pics down, I trust DonnaB :) She knows a lot about these flying jewels. The only real difference my untrained eye can see (and it might just be the light reflection) is that the top one appears to have dots on each side of the fully opened wings on what looks like a tiny third pair of wings. The top one is also missing one swallowtail thingy on the right hand side, and the one in your second picture has full swallowtail thingies on both bottom wings. I don't see the dots on the 2nd one, but again, it might be position and light.
Remember those picture games we used to play as a child, find the 10 differences in this picture - where they put two identical looking pictures side by side and you have to "find" what is different? That's kind of how I approached this...LOL. Now, how you know as they go flitting hither and yon past you, beats me at those speeds...hahaha. Just press onward, and enjoy them :)
Have a great day,
-Sunny
OK, Sunny, I see what you mean. Yours doesn't have the little "tails" at the bottom tips of its wings. I think I remember reading somewhere that sometimes they get messed up and one or both of them can be missing - so I also understand what you said about one of them only having one "tail", while the other has two.
I'm really new at butterfly IDs. I'm sort of embarrassed to admit, but for years I was afraid of them. Started when I was a little girl, but I don't remember exactly what gave rise to the fear unless it was the time when I was quite young and became very upset when someone caught one to show me; the scales came off its wings and it couldn't fly. I remember it made me really sad, but that I didn't want them to touch me. Even as an adult (and I've been one of those for a long time - LOL) I was afraid to have them come close to me. When I bought this house last fall, I noticed the butterfly bush in the front yard. That was cool; I loved looking at the butterflies, I just didn't want them to touch me or fly around me. When it started blooming this summer, I couldn't resist going out to see after reading some of the posts on here. I stood there and watched them fly around, flitting from one blossom to another. They were so beautiful! I got up close to them and took pictures - and realized that I wasn't afraid of them anymore. Now I stand out there in awe, and hope one gifts me by lighting on my arm. :-)
I know it sounds stupid to be afraid of a butterfly, but I used to have nightmares about them. I don't remember what the nightmares were, just that there were butterflies and I was afraid. Bet some psychiatrist would have a heyday with that, huh? LOL
This message was edited Aug 19, 2006 2:32 PM
