I confess that, other than gathering the vegetables and the blueberries, I haven't actually spent much time in the garden this week. Early in the week, it was raining which kept me mostly indoors. We got another 0.7 inch of rain, making a grand total of 2.5 inches in just about a week. Later in the week, I was busy with other things and so the garden had to struggle along without me.
When I did venture out, I continued trying to document the small butterflies in the garden. At the same time I saw plenty of the larger ones, including a beautiful Tiger Swallowtail which, unfortunately, I was not able to photograph. The garden is really "blooming" with butterflies these days.
Here's one of the tiny ones that I was able to photograph. It is a Clouded Skipper feeding on horse mint.
I followed this little critter around trying to get its picture, thinking that it was a butterfly, but when I looked at the picture later I realized it was a moth, although I'm not sure of its identity. Do you recognize it? It's just about half an inch across.
This seems to be the most numerous butterfly in my yard these days - the Checkered Skipper.
While chasing butterflies, I came across this interesting caterpillar on my little mayhaw tree. I think it may be the larva of one of the sphinx moths, but I'm not sure which one. When I looked for it again today, it had disappeared. There are lots of hungry birds in my yard these days!
A lot of those hungry birds are babies and four of them are in this box. The Eastern Bluebird parents have been wearing themselves out over the last ten days or so trying to keep their hungry brood fed. They should be almost ready to fledge.
We've been enjoying tasty tomatoes, peppers, and squash from the veggie garden this week, and tomorrow we are going to have our very first corn! The vegetable garden has been especially productive this spring. After last year's almost complete failure, I am relishing all this bounty.
Love the smaller butterflies. Not as colorful as the large butterflies they often get ignored. I am still learning to identify all the skippers. Your sphinx caterpillar is cool looking. How great that you have baby bluebirds!
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm very excited about the Baby Blues, Karin. After several years of no bluebirds in my yard, we've had one or more families of them starting life in my garden every year for the last three. Very gratifying!
DeleteOh, you have bluebirds!! I have had a house up for three years but no sign of any bluebirds. It must not be in a good place. Love your moths and butterflies too.
ReplyDeleteDon't give up on the bluebird box, Dorothy. It took them a while to find mine, too.
DeleteI really enjoyed the skippers last year, they seem to be really friendly and approachable, and are cute with the big eyes. Your garden is so much ahead of mine in the cool PNW. I saw a Swallowtail yesterday and a couple of the Cinnabar Moths whose caterpillars I raised last year, transferring them to new plants when they ran out of leaves. They are beautiful but very shy. How cool to have Bluebirds.
ReplyDeleteYes, we are already into summer (Unfortunately!) here near the Gulf Coast, Hannah, and many of my plants are already shutting down as the temperatures reach the mid-nineties. I'll be interested to visit your garden to see what's happening there in a somewhat cooler and wetter climate.
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