Butterflies and Moths

One Swallowtail does not make a Summer ! But.... she made my Summer. This year there have been so very few butterflies. This is the State butterfly for Oklahoma too. I have seen but 3 this year.. and the other 2 were not stopping to have a photo taken. This lady was shy.. but allowed 3 photos ! EXPLORED !

So few.. so precious... EXPLORED !

This is the first one I have seen since early May... and then it was just one. Last year there were many

Not the prettiest of backgrounds but the butterflies are so few and far between this year I will take what I can get !! EXPLORED !

Frail beauty.

One lone female Monarch butterfly...The first going South this year 14-9-14 Two weeks earlier than the 20 who came last year. BUT there is alot less to feed on and maybe some more will come EXPLORED !

This beautiful Lady came and stayed for 4 hours or more - feeding on the Lantana. She was very flighty to start with but slowly settled down. She is almost perfect. After such a barren year.... the Monarch yesterday and this Eastern Tiger Swallowtail today and the few others that have come , make a beautiful gift from Nature.

The second Monarch butterfly here going South this year 20-9-14 EXPLORED !

Photo taken in North Carolina at PeggyC's house where I am visiting from Oklahoma ! EXPLORED !

They're hereeeeeeeeeee !!! Counted 20 yesterday and they had been around for 24 hours....passing through.. feeding mainly on Lantana and False Sunflowers... but I couldn't resist this one on a Zinnia !

" This is Ground Control ... The Aliens have landed ................. !! " EXPLORED !

This has been a rare sight this year of so few butterflies. Normally I see many Sulphur's... but this is only the second one of these beautiful Cloudless I have seen this year ! EXPLORED !

The Monarchs are still coming through in ones and two's. I have had this one and one other feeding here all day . The GOOD news is the front runners are almost at the Mexican border and therefore almost at their wintering grounds in Mexico .There has also been a really super increase in numbers in the breeding over the Summer !

Got a Monarch here today. Its one of those perfect days when nature is holding her breath before winter. It went down to 38F last night.. so it wont be long before the first frosts. Every time I think I have seen the last.. another comes ! Less and less to feed on now. This lady was on the remaining scruffy Zinnia's ! Temps at night are dropping now and it cant be long before the first frost here. Fly south Little One's ! Would have been nice with a prettier background but what the heck.. getting these just to SIT is a bonus ! EXPLORED !

Wellllllllllllll ......... I had a lifetime first butterfly yesterday too !!! Got it double checked at Bugnet . Never seen one here.. and it was smack on the right food !! The Redbud ! Henry's Elfin .. Callophrys henrici I have never seen one here .. wasnt even looking on the right Kaufman pages to ID it ! Its not a spectacular looking one.. but LOVE that its a first after 4 years ! Also... its the first Butterfly of the season here to sit for photo ! There are Yellows coming through but at a distance and never still !

The magic happened today ! Late this afternoon with 25mph gusting winds.... the Snowberry Clearwing Moths (Hemaris diffinis) and this Lady were drawn to the glorious perfume of the Lilacs wafted in the wind. The hard thing was to get a picture when nothing was staying still !

The magic happened today ! Late this afternoon with 25mph gusting winds.... the Snowberry Clearwing Moths (Hemaris diffinis) and an American Lady (Vanessa cardui) were drawn to the glorious perfume of the Lilacs wafted in the wind. The hard thing was to get a picture when nothing was staying still ! EXPLORED !