Butterfly Gardening and Conservation Blog

starting to see a few more!

Today I volunteered at the Butterfly House again. Saw a few butterflies in the back garden. Then later I walked around Faust park back in an area where they have a prairie growing, I hadn't realized it was there. It was really pretty. Although I did notice it had some non-natives like Queen Anne's lace. I saw quite a few butterflies flying around there.

Then later at home I saw a Tiger Swallowtail that hung around for quite a while. And one of the Spicebush Swallowtails came out of its chrysalis and I let it go. I stayed outside until evening and saw the Tiger Swallowtail fly up into up tree and the Spicebush Swallowtail into another.

I may have seen more butterflies if I hadn't taken a nap for a while in the afternoon, I didn't get much sleep the night before.

More Tigers And Giants!

Today I saw a Tiger Swallowtail nectaring one of my butterfly bushes and then later a Giant Swallowtail. It wasn't the same Giant Swallowtail as before either, this one's tails were in perfect shape. The one I saw on Monday wing's were messed up. Don't remember how yesterday's was. This is really great! The past couple of years I hardly saw any Giant Swallowtails, this year I have seen quite a few.

Giants and Tigers!

Today I wasn't out very much, but once I saw a Giant Swallowtail and then later when out and saw a Tiger Swallowtail.

No butterflies today!

I was outside a lot today, but hardly saw any butterflies at all. Just some skippers and a couple sulfurs. Oh well. Lots of hummingbirds though. Lots and lots.

Still more butterflies!

Wow! I went back outside again a little after my last entry and saw more butterflies!

First, a Giant Swallowtail was nectaring on the lantana, also on some milkweed - both Butterfly Weed and Swamp Milkweed.

Then a little later I was outside and saw what was either a Comma or Question Mark fluttering around my False Nettle patch! I ran down to it and was able to find one of the eggs it laid. I think it must have laid more though, but I couldn't find them. The egg is green and really blends in with the leaf. I read that they lay them on the underside of the leaf, but this was right on the edge of a leaf. I haven't taken a picture yet, but probably will tomorrow. This will be my first chance to raise any of this species! I hope it goes ok.

Also saw a couple of large sized sulfurs from a distance.

Beautiful day out!

It's been raining and cool and cloudy here the past couple of days - so no butterflies! :(

But today - its beautiful out! I was only out a couple of minutes and saw three nice butterflies!

1 - a comma or question mark - couldn't get close enough to see which, but it was nectaring on lantana. First I've seen of that, they usually prefer rotting fruit. Maybe my bananas are too dried out now.

2 - a Painted Lady, second I've seen this year.

3 - a red spotted purple - nectaring on rattlesnake master - they usually prefer rotting fruit also. Second I've this year too.

And the hummingbirds are everywhere - at least 4 flying around everytime I go out!

I hope I have time to out some again later!

Where are all the butterflies?

I think my butterfly garden has turned into a hummingbird, gold finch and bee garden!!

Actually, I did see two swallowtails today. A Tiger Swallowtail that was probably the same one I saw the evening before in front of the house. And a dark swallowtail, that I think may have been a Pipevine swallowtail.

It seems like there should be more by this time of summer. Maybe more land around here has been destroyed to build more housing so now they have even less habitat areas left.

Lots of swallowtails

Saw lots of swallowtails along the highway today, most I couldn't identify, except an occasional Tiger Swallowtail. And then when I got home I saw one Tiger Swallowtail on a butterfly bush. Real hot today, should have been more butterflies in my garden I think.

Bad butterfly day!

It was really nice out today, but I hardly saw any butterflies!

I added a little more to the site though, some information about where to get some common perennials: perennials. Fall will be here before you know it and that is a good time to plant perennials!

Another Pipevine

I saw a Pipevine Swallowtail on my butterfly bush today, it hung around for quite a while. Didn't see any eggs on my pipevine though. Second Pipevine I've seen around here this year.

I had two Black Swallowtails to release today.

And at one point today there were 4 Silver Spotted Skippers on my butterfly bush at the same time!

First Monarch

I know there must be some Monarchs that have been around here for a while, but I hadn't seen any yet. But at the Butterfly House today, I saw a female Monarch on the patch of tropical milkweed there. I didn't see it lay any eggs though, but it was cool and cloudy. That was about the highlight of the day.

Not many around today :(

That same pearl cresent or checkerspot was around this morning, sunning itself. It was cloudy and raining, so it sat still and I was able to get some pictures of it. Not sure how well they will turn out though.

Didn't see any butterflies after that though, although the sun did come out later. Except for lots of little skippers.

Hopefully tomorrow at the butterfly house I will see some nice butterflies.

more eggs!

This morning the same black form female Tiger Swallowtail was nectaring on the liatris again. Didn't see it after that though.

I also saw a skipper, don't know what kind it was, lay an egg on a blade of grass. Never raised a skipper before, will have to get advice about it.

Also, what looked like either a pearl crescent or checkerspot laid an egg on a small plant that I couldn't identify that was growing in our lawn. They supposedly lay eggs in groups though, not singly - but I may have scared it away before it had a chance to lay any more.

Both Spicebush Swallowtails are pupating now!

Behind on updating again!

I should have updated this over the weekend. I finally got back to volunteering at the Butterfly House this summer - went for the first this year on Sat. (7/10). It was a nice time and I was glad to be back, got to talk butterflies with quite a few people!

The highlight of the day however, was watching a Nathalis iole lay eggs on coreopsis roseum plants. Of course, now I'm on a quest to find seeds for c. roseum. I have other plants for this butterfly, but now I want this one too.

I don't have a page on this site yet about Nathalis iole, but I'll get to it when I have the time. Still don't have a picture of an adult to use though. Didn't have a camera with me when I saw her. Did get pictures of the eggs though, not sure how well they will turn out, the eggs are very tiny. About 1 mm long, and very thin.

Still haven't see a Monarch in my garden yet though!

One of the spicebushes I have started pupating today, the other will be soon too. All but one of the Black Swallowtails I had are pupating now. And I saw more eggs on my parsley!

I also saw a beautiful black form Tiger Swallowtail nectaring for probably an hour on my liatris today!! Didn't see it lay any eggs though.

Another Giant Swallowtail is flying around somewhere!

We've had quite a bit of rain and cool weather here, but I think it might be starting to warm up!

The Giant Swallowtail that I had pupating came out of its chrysalis today! I let it go and when I went back outside a couple of hours later, it was still flying around the garden.

I've got two Spicebush swallowtail caterpillars I'm raising now and several Black Swallowtails.

Over the weekend I saw the first Painted Lady I've seen here this year! And either today or yesterday (I already don't remember) I saw another Buckeye. Several days ago I saw what I think was a Pipevine Swallowtail nectaring on one of my butterfly bushes. And one day a beautiful Tiger Swallowtail hung out around my purple coneflowers for a long time. Starting to see lots of little skippers too.

Most of the plants are doing ok. One of my lead plants got nearly all eaten up by something last night though, most likely a rabbit.

I got some pictures back a while ago, they all turned out ok, despite my concerns in my last post. It will be quite a while before I get them up on the site though.