Better Late Than Never...

[Mikey]

Last year the Monarchs and Fritillaries showed up in the early summer and stayed all summer.  The Monarchs even stayed through the Fall.  Both were late showing this year but about 2 weeks ago they finally arrived and have been plentiful since.  This Monarch below has been busy laying eggs on this and other Milkweeds in the yard, although in this photo she's taking a nectar break....  Soon we should have dozens of cats crawling about...


This Gulf Fritillary is one of dozens that have been laying eggs on the Passiflora (Passion Vine).  It's resting here on our Wisteria.

[Ky Kim]

What a beauty.  We didn't see our first monarch until 2 weeks ago, went in to get the camera.  Just about to click it, when my daughter ran up.  There goes the Monarch up and over the fence...LOL, oh well can't be mad at her.  She loves nature as much as me.

Kim

[Mikey]

I believe these Monarchs are territorial and stay here.  I have lots of Milkweed both out front and in the backyard and that's what keeps them around.

[maryvonne]

Your butterfly photos are beautiful. We haven't seen many here this year.

Maryvonne

[Indiana Karen]

Beautiful pics!

I have a lot of milkweed and other plants around our deck to attrack butterflies.  The other day I saw a butterfly on a zinnia and something jumped at it.  I didn't investigate until a while later and found wings from three different butterflies on the plant.
I realized that it was a praying mantis.  I have been watching for it and finally found it this evening and relocated him to our garden.  I had already been having problems with birds snatching them out of the air.  Its not been a good butterfly year for me. 

Karen

[miguynmkoi]

Great shot Mike!  Either you're very fast on your toes or you keep the camera tied around your neck 

Butterflies around here are camera shy 

[Esther]

Very nice Mikey.

[Desertponder]

Very pretty! We just don't seem them here. I remember seeing them when I was a kid but you don't see them now.

[Mikey]

Plant milk weed and they will come.....  I seldom saw them until I planted milk weed.  If anyone wants seeds, send a pm with your address and as soon as the plants start producing seeds I will mail you some.  Milk weed has a pretty flower as show above and it readily reseeds every year.

[Sandye]

We've had lots of butterflies this year. I've seen various kinds of Swallowtails and almost every other kind of butterfly that is native around here.  The Fritillaries are currently swarming my mint plants by the back deck.  Just this morning, when I went outside to feed my box turtle, I saw a HUGE yellow swallowtail and was berating myself for not seeing it a little sooner so I could have run for the camera.     It had landed on the bush by the turtle tank and I scared it by approaching.  It didn't hang around after I scared it.   :'(

I see Monarchs and Viceroys every year, but one year, the Monarchs chose the trees in our front yard to rest in overnight while they were migrating.  That was a sight I had never seen before...trees almost completely covered with Monarchs.    I wish I had had a camera then.