Time to start a new thread for our daily Butterfly Photos!
Continued from this thread: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/787090/
Here is one of 2 Sulphurs I released yesterday. I have 6 more that eclosed today, but will release them tomorrow morning. I didn't want them to get too nippy tonight as the temps are supposed to drop down into the 40's tonight here in Florida. Brrrr ...
Thank you Becky~
Your Sulphur is gorgeous!! Oh man that Tie-dyed MG is the perfect backdrop~ I knew you'd have a better pic for the new thread, lol... & Wow!
Let's see all those butterfly pics everybody!!!
debnes
Beautiful picture, Becky! Well I'm glad someone still has blooms and flying flowers around. I've only seen a few yellow butterflies (can't call their name, maybe Sulfurs) flying around today. Temps are suppose to drop tonight into the low 30's. It's been a little too windy for our butterflies to enjoy what little blooms I still have left. Gaillardia and pansies are the only plants I can recall in bloom. I'll try to take a picture of the yellow butterflies tomorrow if they are still coming around.
'm seeing lots of birds though. Bluebirds can't decide which box they want since I put up three new ones for them after the Flycatchers stole their box and cracked their eggs this past spring. I can't believe my eyes, I saw a Carolina chickadee and what looked like a Titmouse at my feeders. Those two birds are really too far south I believe. Cardinals are everywhere though, Yea! Love them.
I still have one lone Monarch crystallis inside in a cage that's still green. He was one of the last cats I rescued a couple of weeks ago from the wilds of the milkweed patch down at my pond.
Love that yellow butterfly on a blue morning glory!!! Ya know I have yellow morning glories blooming but now I just need to get one of the Mexican Bluewings to land on a yellow morning glory!!!
Found another female Black Witch at the bait tray tonight. This is a different female from the previous thread. That's three Black Witch moths in four nights :o)
~ Cat
ps...also had the other Zebra Longwing eclose at about 9pm!!! I'd gotten home at 8:30pm and checked on the chrysalis cage and I could see the wing colors showing through. Went to the grocery store and when I got back...ta da!!! It will stay in the cage until tomorrow morning. I won't risk releasing tonight.
This message was edited Nov 16, 2007 10:15 PM
Gorgeous butterfly/morning glory photo! I don't think I've seen such a pretty color combination!
Are morning glories a pretty good nectar flower for butterflies (or hummingbirds)?
TPP your bait tray is really a popular treat spot for your butterflies and moths...
It sure is Judy, especially down where Cat is! *Note to self: Get YMG seeds from Cat*
Yes they are good flowers for the Bfs and Hummers. Not to mention eye candy for us ;-).
Rofl Cat!! I bet you will get a shot like that, nothing for a skipper like yourself! Leave it to you to come up with the alternate combo, lol!! Please save me some YMG seeds if you can Cat! :-D
Deborah~ I am so impressed with your bird combos.. That's rough about the BB, but great you added some extra houses. I don't think those birds are too far south either. We get northern birds at this time, they usually stay all winter, and go back north as the butterflies and hummers return. Have you gotten any pics of any of these? Soon as all the butterflies have left, I will probably be more regular in the BW
forum.
I haven't counted them all, however I have around a half dozen Giant ST chrysalids, and one Black ST which will eclose sometime in April, (they all look healthy).
I also have 4 Monarch chrysalids, that pupated a few days ago.
If y'all are wondering what I'm doing up this early, it is bc we are leaving for the Big Thicket this morning. I woke up around 3:30am, and I'm too excited to go back to sleep. I will be taking the 4 Monarch chrysalids with me, since we won't be coming back until Wednesday. If they don't eclose before we leave, I will hang them with dentotape on a tree before we come back to FW.
I am taking 42 different kinds of native seeds, and a cultivator along with me. Some of the seeds I have are for plants that will thrive better down there. For instance, the amazing Orchid Tree seeds trios gave at the last swap. If anyone wants a couple, now is the time to speak up, I will keep a few back. Cat or Becky could grow them in zone 9.
It will be interesting to go back next spring and see what grew from seed. They have broadband hookups at the hotel we are going to stay at, so I will be logging on in the evenings as I'm able.
Everyone don't forget to wish Becky a Happy Birthday today!! LOL!
GBU (((Becky))) many happy and blessed returns!!!
debnes
Happy Birthday Sweet Becky. You should really celebrate in a big way today! It's the week end, no work and you've got a hummer!
Edit to say: I may be away from the computer tomorrow
This message was edited Nov 17, 2007 8:17 AM
Thanks Deb and Deborah! I haven't rolled over that number yet ... my Birthday isn't until tomorrow! :-)
Becky, what a pretty pic!!! Great combo of colors!
My Sulphurs are starting to dwindle down, the temps have been slowly dropping too. They loved the Hamelia all summer and fall, there would be, probably, 30+ at any given time dancing around that shrub. It was something! It's hard to get a pic of yellow so I don't have one.
I realeased my last Monarch yesterday, she didn't want to leave either, she spent all day on the Pentas. She didn't even mind when I was trying to water things. I'm sure she needs to fuel up to go south.
Cat, love those witches!
Happy Pre-Birthday Becky!!!
Thanks y'all for the lovely Birthday wishes! :-)
Rox - I can only get photos of the Sulphurs when they are still drying their wings. (I raise and release them too!) Do you have some Cassia plants? They are the Sulphur host plant. I have some seeds I could share with you if you need some! :-)
I do have some Cassias, but haven't seen any cats on them.....thanks for the offer anyway!
My bf garden in the back is new this year and it's surrounded by trees. This little mostly sunny hole in the landscape, sky-view wise, so I don't think the bfs have found it yet. I'm hoping next year will be different, I don't know if I can remove any more trees. I think the neighbors would be on to me if I was hacking away at their trees...too bad chainsaws are so dang noisy LOL
Rox - LOL! Have your Cassia bloomed? If not, that may be why no butterflies yet. The Sulphur butterflies didn't show up until my Cassia bloomed. Now they know where I am! Plus I have released about 12 Sulphurs this past week, so I expect them to target my yard now. I see them all the time, so my yard must be a favorite stopping place on their daily journey! :-) Hopefully, next year you will see some! The number of butterflies grew with time this year. I think they told all their buddies! I'll tell them to head your way! :-)
Happy b-day, becky. Hope your day is lovely and full of adventure!
The Big Thicket sounds like a great trip, deb! Do you plant the seeds in random spots or do you have property in the area??
Oh, btw, what are YMG seeds. I get the 'morning glory' but what's the 'Y'? Thanks.
And which morning glories are the best for the BFs and hummers? Any thought?
Becky is going to kick our butts in next year's photo contest. Those twin sulphurs were just perfect - but then you hit us with the morning glory!
Not a big fan of moths, but that Black Witch Moth sure is neat.
Deb, if by "Orchid Tree" you mean bauhinia, be careful as it is considered an invasive or pest plant in some areas (like Florida).
Here's a Gulf Frit that I made friends with today. I saw another GF fly over while I was having fu with this one.
He was really enjoying my mutant blanket flower. I got one of those blooms that should be two flowers but didn't divide all the way. Even the stem below it is really thick. But for the butterflies it's just more nectar for the taking I suppose.
This skipper was moving mighty fast but I got this one shot. I've been seeing long-tailed skippers, but this wasn't one of them so I wanted to take his picture.
This skipper was hanging out in the lawn.
Meant sulphur, not skipper, duh!
This message was edited Nov 18, 2007 11:53 AM
My Long-Tailed Skipper was enjoying the porterweed, but I also saw him on the bougainvillea.
Mom still hasn't figured out my camera, but I wanted to show this picture so everyone can see how "wrinkled" or crumpled up the wings are when a butterfly emerges. Mom was afraid he was deformed but sure enough, he pumped his wings and flew off later in the afternoon.
In other news, it got in the 40s here last night. So I had to go forage for food after work yesterday and I felt the need to check every pawpaw in the county. I managed to rescue four eggs and three caterpillars (although one died today - he was a first instar). All I could think of was those poor little caterpillars freezing through the night. In other excitement, I saw one of the crescents (Phaeon or Pearl) in my neighbor's yard today. I've only seen a crescent in my neighborhood once before so that was pretty exciting. Apparently, many butterflies made it through the night and were out and about today.
Melanie
It was in the low 30s last night, brrrrrr, but I still have lots of sulfurs and GFs zipping around this morning. And several of these lovely dragonflies which I've not seen in my yard before.
Jenny
Here's a Buckeye from the other day.
This one kept going from the lawn, to the banana.
Yellow Sulpher trying to find what is left of my Zinnias.
Some type of little Hairstreak.
Never would close it's wings, but kept turning toward the fading sun.
Some beautiful White something on Gazania.
Looks soft as a cloud....
And a little Dainty Sulpher moving very slow today.
Finding shelter in pile of leaves.
Happy Birthday Becky!!!
I wonder why your birthday is not on the birthday list?
Josephine.
Carolina Phlox for You.
It will be tomorrow. Happy Birthday!!! 1 day early.
Debness mentioned when she was online early this morning, guess she knew it was this weekend, and she is out-of-pocket. So Becky will get to do it all over tomorrow!!! Two bithdays in one week, wow!! LOL!!
Two birthdays? Whose b-day? Becky's tomorrow right? And who is the other birthday belongs to? Sorry I missed.
Paul, it's not fair we're roughly the same zone, how come you've so many more butterflies than I do? I've been looking -from the window mostly, 'cuz it's really cold out (for me), lol. We haven't had a real frost yet. But I guess most of my b.f. has migrated elsewhere.
Beautiful of those beauties, please keep them coming.
Kim
So sorry Kim. I thought that BF season was over as I stepped outside this morning.
But the longer I stayed outside, the more I saw.
I have to say that the little Hairstreak and the Dainty Sulpher are tiny tiny BF.
I first thought they were moths, but I followed them around to find otherwise.
I also had Gulf Frits flying around.
We had a real hard frost Friday morning, so most of the flowers are freeze dried now. ha.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
I just heard from Debnes and it is dark now, but they can't wait to get out in the morning I am sure. We should see lots of pictures later, you know she will have that camera. Ben, her DS, is a good spotter for any insects in the area too.
Pford...I am with you, I thought we had seen the last of the bfs. But I found a Monarch cat last week and it was still feeding. I brought it in, and in only one day it made a chrysalis. Bad thing is it is due to eclose on the 23rd, and the near freezing temps will already be here. I will need to bring in a plant or cuttings for sure so it has nectar. Loved all your pics, especially the white bf on the Gazania. I haven't ever seen either one!
Mellie....Mom did a great job trying to take the picture and not disturbing the Zebra! Keep practicing Mom!
Caught these two guys munching away on the pipevine today. They were yelling at me with their little antennae.
One more close-up.
I know there's something wrong with me because I find those caterpillars to be really cute. I even like when they wave their little "stinkhorns" at me. Dont like to smell it, though.
Melanie
I have the same affliction, and a cold today, so the stinkhorns are extra cute today!
Cathy
Is there a thing wrong with admiring these little ones? I love them too, and I'm just about perfect. Just kidding.,,,hahahahaha
Kim
I like the way you think Kim!
Cathy - Awesome photos!!! Are these Pipevine Swallowtail cats? If so, the first photo might be a good one to add to the BugFile:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/46/
Go to the bottom of the page and you will see where you can add an image of this bug. :-)
Thanks Cathy, I just have a second G.F. eclosed this evening. Right now I feel like going to celebrate like a brand new Momma.
