Daily butterfly pictures #90

We came from here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1201801/

Things are heating up here, now that it is cooling down. This is the kind of day I wait for all winter, and apparently all summer too!!

Common Buckeye

You go girl!!!!

A big one! Contemplating bringing him in.

Some Skipper that I have to look up.

Same Skipper

Thank you Marna for the new thread. And yes, a day worthy of the wait all through winter and and summer! How sweet to have Monarch laying eggs, that's what she was doing? Awwwww!!!!

Yup she was a busy gal laying eggs.

Perfect day: 75 degrees, 57% humidity, light winds.

I got buzzed by a hummingbird this morning. I have a red shirt and bandana on. she must have thought I was a REALLY big flower.

:)

Got me a 'boy' TST.

Great picture of the monarch laying eggs Marna, and thanks for starting the new thread!

What wonderful pictures everyone has been getting! I haven't had much of a chance to go out picture taking, since I'm working so much OT at work. And now the state fair is starting, so I'll be going there on the weekends with family and friends. But I'm sure enjoying seeing everyone else's pictures :)

This is sorta OT, but a good DG friend is doing a swap on here.. for bird houses, butterfly houses and bat houses. (your choice, not all 3 lol)
Wasn't sure if anyone would be interested in getting a new house or not, but here's the link and if you're interested please come over and sign up.. last year, I got the cutest homemade gourd birdhouse that was painted like a ladybug :)

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1202528/


Ok..back to regular programming.. bring on the pics! ^_^

Nice Buckeye shot, and how neat, that you caught the Monarch in the process of laying eggs, Mrs-Ed. Great start!

Lily, I've seen the TST in spring, and never seen them after that. Nice pic.

Bernadette, as I recall, TSTs were prevalent during the Spring usually. This year isn't like most years. In fact, they're here to keep me company for I had a bad time not seeing any Monarch or Gulf Frits.

Lots of TSTs here this month here. In fact, I've had a number of the dark forms here, which I never have had in the yard.

Cute Chris. I never thought of swapping houses. Pretty fun.

I'm going to try to get video of ovipositing if I get the chance. I as trying right after i took these pix, but she flew off. drats! I really should have covered this plant since it is full of aphids.

I am getting an occasional visitor but not like last year. Have started to see a number of Buckeyes around and some sulphurs.

Down here too, Nan. I've seen quite a few of sulphurs. But they kept avoiding photo op. lol

What's weird for me is that Sulphurs have been oddly absent. Again, numbers just coming around, but nothing like last year, which was a good year.

was grilling a tuna steak for lunch, and was seeing lots of BF's so I grabbed my camera

Great Spangled Fritillary

Not the best photo, and this thing was fast, but I believe Peck's Skipper

common buckeye

Silver Spotted Skipper

nice looking female to release today

here's another one of her--the colors are so beautiful when they're new

Here she is on lantana

Very nice BCH!

Woo hoo.....saw a Monarch today!!!!

one of the Black Ones!!

and a Common Buckeye!!

BCH, you've one of the better set up for your cats.!!! Woohoooo! Congrats Nan of the Monarch, and booohoooo everyone seems to have gotten theirs but me. Booohooooo~. Don't you love those Common Buckeys? I do.

nan, looks like shes laying eggs--nice picture

Good pix BCH and Nanny. Found a BST cat and egg today, but lost my oldest monarch cat. Just don't know what goes on here. Think I'll have to give up again.

Lovely colors for sure, BCH.
Congrat on your Monarch, Nanny. Hope you get eggs.
Kim, I'll boohoo with you, for the Monarch. :(
I looked at my pics from last year, and August seem to be the month, for butterflies for me.
Are ants a problem for cats? I have tons of them here.

from the Missouri Botanical Garden in St Louis

Red Spotted Purple

J. those are gorgeous! I've never seen the light reflection on the wings of RSP that show so much gold on the tips. Nice catch! Burn, sweet ants or fire ants? Pot up a mints container nearby, that will deter the fire ants. Any one has tips on sweet ants, please let me know.

Hummingbird moth on Zinnia

DW and I just did surgery on a female monarch who was bound up in her chrysalis--looks like it worked--keeping my fingers crossed

Released my third Monarch yesterday. I have eggs on one of my plants but I'm not sure if I'll bring them in or not. The last Black Swallowtail is in his sling and ready to be a chrysalis. The Orange-Barred Sulphurs are still munching the cassia.

Caught two of my most common butterflies today. This is Horace's Duskywing who probably hangs around because I have a lot of oak trees for hosts and yummy nectar plants like these Bidens spp. because I haven't weeded in forever.

And the Cassius Blues live on the plumbagos. It works as host and nectar although they'll wander off of it for some yummy Bidens spp. like in the photo - it's the nectar favorite of just about everyone and hosts the Dainty Sulphur. But still, I must weed it eventually...

Melanie

Those are nice ones Melanie, BCH how is your patient post op.? A male TST early this morning. Currently I've 4 BSTs that just eclosed, will release them in a bit.

Hah, forgot the pix. lol

Sorry to say the patient didn't make it--she developed a leak

We think the problem is overcrowding; because she wasn't able to flip out of her chrysalis properly--see photo below