Hi, ORVers,
Now that it's approaching the highpoint of the ORV's Butterfly season, I thought you might like to know about this:
The Ohio DNR just loaded an online version of their popular brochure "Common Butterflies & Skippers of Ohio".
This is a fun and easy to use information resource if you find a butterfly in your yarden and you want to learn more about it:
http://www.flipseekllc.com/wildohio2009butterfly.html
t.
It's EZ to learn your ORV Butterflies!
THANKS t!
This is a great help.
The ONLY fault I have w/ the site is I wish they noted the positive ID Check points on the illustrations instead of just discussing them.
Ric
Good source of info! Thanks for sharing it :-)
Cool, Thanks!
Awesome Tabasco, Thank you!
Thanks.
Now, if only the butterflies could come out into the gardens! We have seen so few butterflies this season. I wonder if other ORVers have had the same experience?
It's raining like crazy today.
It a common sight here in OHio this year.
Or should I say unsight.
It's been so cool and wet that the Cats just aren't changing over.
We saw finally two local Monarchs yesterday and maybe a Frit or two a day but that's it.
I'm seeing Monarchs, and some Swallowtail. Not hordes like last year it seems.
In the last week we are getting a couple of monarchs a day and a couple of Tiger Swallowtails. Not when it's raining, though.
We had loads of hummers this morning. Counted eight at the feeders in the back yard. More in the front. The migration south must have begun.
Now that is what I am missing, the hummers. :~(
Ours are hitting the Mimosa and flowers but not the Hummer Feeders.... odd.
But there are TONS of blossoms so maybe not SO odd.
Quite a bit of activity here, when the sun is shining at least. I'm seeing a lot of Monarchs, large Frittilaries (which I now realize there are 2 similar species), and so many smaller brown, orange, and black toned species. Quite a few Black swallowtails and a few Zebra swallowtails have been regulars too.
The hummers have been abundant here too. I've enjoyed watching some of their little battles- they sure don't like to share, LOL. I don't have any 1 major attractor they're flocking to though, they just seem to always be around different blooms when I see them. Well, I take that back- Black and Blue Salvia gets constant repeat visits.
That is cool Neal, don't think I am getting as much activity, but i did see a couple hummers yesterday! wooh hoo!!
Neal, from your butterfly report it sounds like your part of the region has escaped much of the dreariness that seems to have settled in here this summer.
Yesterday the sun was out and we had a few more butterflies. 2 monarchs, 3 swallowtails and various little skippers. But my nectar flowers are about bloomed out for the season.
I did see 3 monarchs nectaring together on one single liatris ligustylus shoot in my sister's yard, and I must get more of those!
And I recently read that the shrub Abelia chinensis was a excellent butterfly and hummingbird plant, hardy in Zone 6 to 9, (but seldom planted) so I'm going to try to find one to plant in the yard. They say it blooms all summer.
I bet we'll get more butterflies this weekend. It's supposed to be hot and sunny.
Lazy S'S Farm & Nursery
http://www.lazyssfarm.com/Plants/Shrubs/A-Ch%20Shrubs/A-Ch%20Images/abelia_chinensis.htm
Today I am seeing Monarchs, and several different Swalltails! ots of little skippers.
They are on the liatris, the lavender, but mostly the zinnia.
I have compost, water and banana out for them, I haven't seen anyone in the dish, I think maybe they want it in the sun?
Crash, what color zinnia are the Monarchs going for in your yard? I noticed 3 out of 4 times they are going for the orange Benarys Giants instead of white, pink, or light coral colors. Interesting that they are going for their own color.
I spied my Liatris ligustylus with 3 monarchs on it again this afternoon! That is by far the best Monarch magnet we have this year. I bought ten of these particular liatris from an e-bay source early in the spring because someone on the BF forum raved about them. The rabbits got all but 3 and one plant is now 4 feet tall and the one the monarchs go for. The other two seem stunted right now but maybe they'll get a little taller.
I am definitely going to grow more of this type of liatris for next year. I have some seeds and if necessary I can buy plants from Prairie Moon, I think.
My liatris spicata, grown from corms, finished blooming this year before any butterflies really arrived to enjoy them! Boo hoo.
Thanks for the abelia info ric.
It seems (and now that you mention it,) reds and specifically oranges. have seen them on yellow, and I planted a very bright pink variety this year, haven't noticed any out front on them. hmmm
The skippers are going for the lavender, as are the bumble bees, lots of bumbles on the coneflowers.
I love Glossy Abelias! Some friends of mine just ripped 4 large ones out of their landscape and I so wish I'd been able to get them. They were too big for the area they were planted, but they did bloom all summer and butterflies loved them.
The red Zinnias are getting the most attention here, Scarlet King from seeds you sent me :-). It's interesting to see what they flock to when given lots to choose from.
My scarlet zinnias aren't in bloom yet, still a week away.
Too bad about the Abelias! What a pity that you missed them!
tabasco, I've been noticing a lot of butterfly activity around a particular plant I wanted to let you know about- Blue Mist flower, or Hardy Ageratum:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/61790/
I've been seeing the Monarchs pass by everything else to go straight to the Blue Mist, and yesterday while watering I saw one land on the blooms, then another joined it a couple of seconds later. And suddenly they were joined in mating and took off through the garden attached together! Now that's something I hadn't seen before, and I was amazed at what a rapid courtship it was, LOL!
Interesting about the blue mist flower and your happy monarchs.... (-:
I have a couple of blue ageratums planted in containers, but I can't tell if they are the 'hardy' type or not. I can't remember if I bought them or grew them from seed and I haven't been watching them for butterfly activity. I know that I have some hardy ageratum seed in my collection, though and I'll be sure to try to grow some for next year's garden.
I've had a pick up in our butterfly visitors this week, too. And at least my zinnias and tithonias are in bloom for them. Oh, and some tropical milkweed.
My gold tropical milkweed has been stripped bare! I guess the Monarchs find them more "exotic" tasting, LOL.
We left some Honey Milkweed vine alone as opposed to weeding all of it out.
The Monarchs hit it pretty heavily and the leaves are starting to look bare.
So..... BTW we did cut off the pods....
I don't know where my monarchs are coming from. All of my milkweeds are pretty much in tact.
Ric, Can't believe you can grow that honey MW on your property and still have room for all of your exotic plants! (I've heard it's quite an enthusiastic grower.)
I had one pretty good butterfly day in our yard this week: During one twenty minute walk-about I found 5 monarchs, 2 Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, one Zebra Swallowtail, 2 Great Spangled Fritillaries, 1 American Lady, 2 Silver Spotted Skippers, and various other skippers. That's really the best 'count' so far this year (a year that's been quite barren of butterflies, really).
I still have several juvenal hummingbirds around the garden. Especially on the tithonia, cardinal climber vines, and the Salvia 'black and blue. It won't be long before they take off for the south though. )-:
The hummers have been a joy this year- I think they know to come back to places they found a lot of food the year before. Definitely more activity this year than I've noticed before.
The last few days I've noted a lot of Goldfinch activity. There were 4 in the garden yesterday scouting for seeds.
Believe me t we didn't grow it on purpose.
The Milkweed pops up everywhere arouud here.