Things that fly….

caterpillars

Great Blue Heron

I posted this in my “Project 365” page as my photo of the day.  He did not appreciate the paparazzi!

Here’s the rest of the story.

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

I didn’t scare him away for long. He came back the next day.  And the next, and the next.  Fishing is good on our canal!

I was trying to get a good photo of this Eastern Tiger Swallowtail as it flitted from blossom to blossom.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Then came across this one that was happily posing for me.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

I know that this is a “skipper”.  I did some research in my Audubon book and on the Internet and I think it’s a Long-Tailed Skipper.  There are a bunch of them on this bush right now.  Must be a good time for them!

Long-tailed skipper

Long-tailed skipper

Long-tailed skipper

My Audubon book calls this a Palamedes Swallowtail. Although I think I’ve seen it referred to as a Eastern Black Swallowtail.

Palamedes Swallowtail

Palamedes Swallowtail

And then I found three caterpillars on the milkweed.  I’ve always assumed that they are Monarch caterpillars. But this year I discovered that the Queen butterfly’s caterpillar also uses the milkweed for it’s host plant and we had a few of them this year. So I did a little research.  According to the Texas Butterfly Website, the Queen caterpillar has one “set of antennae and two sets of filaments, while Monarchs have one set of antennae and one set of filaments.”  These guys definitely have three protuberances.  Queen?

caterpillars

caterpillar

I never find the chrysalis.  But I do know the difference as butterflies. Hopefully I’ll be there to get some snaps!

Butterfly Flutterbye

Butterfly Flutterbye

It rained.  Then it stopped.  And it rained some more.

By the time I got out to the gardens, weeds were rampant.

And so were the butterflies!

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Monarch Caterpillar
A few weeks ago I thought that this was a Monarch Caterpillar. But now I think it was a Queen Butterfly Caterpillar since two Queens appeared and both the Monarchs and the Queens use the milkweed as their host plant.
Queen Butterflies
Queen Butterflies

Queen Butterflies

Gulf Fritallary
Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar. I haven’t seen many of these but I have a plethora of the butterflies.
Gulf Fritallary
Gulf Fritillary Butterfly
Zebra Longwing
Zebra Longwing on Purple Coneflower
Pipevine Swallowtail
I want to believe that this is a Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly. It is so pretty with that dazzling blue. I rely on my Audubon book to identify my visitors but I don’t have the host plant so I’m doubtful.

Butterfly Flutterbye

Eastern Black Swallowtail
Black Swallowtail

And that’s why I plant so many butterfly plants!