Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening: Swallowtail laying eggs, 1 by Hineni

Hineni wrote:
Thanks Donna - I think my post was a little confusing. The egg laying BF was an Eastern Black Swallowtail (the original thread photo). I put the Red Spotted Purple in my signature line without adding a remark as such.
You were the one who helped me identify it originally :)

Andy,

You got another great shot!!

Hummers are actually very easy to get close to, if you can stand perfectly still for 15 minutes or so :) I've been within 6-12 inches from them every day this week. I hung my feeder at about 5 feet. Then I just go and stand by the feeder, being perfectly still. That's how I got to identify the Calliope hummer; from 2 feet or more away I couldn't hear his chirps while feeding, nor see the streaking on his gorget that positively identified him (nor did the photos pick it up). He's more antsy than the ruby-throated - he doesn't really like me there but wants to eat. The ruby-throated acts like she could care less, unless of course I get a skeeter on me and have to move, then she's a goner!

~Sunny