Vicki's Nature's photostream  

I sure was surprised to see a gorgeous, pale yellow Orange Sulphur while driving yesterday! She flulttered across the road ahead of me and looked as magical as ever. My first O.S. last year was on March 2 along with a Spring azure. That was after a cold, snowy winter and this year Spring is starting earlly down South. Along with allergies since so many shrubs & trees are starting to bloom. I couldn't get a shot yesterday of course, so this yard shot is pulled from the archives.

For those of you who visited my Monarch caterpillar on the denuded milkweed, I've posted a shot below of what the blooming milkweed plants look like when the Monarchs arrive to lay eggs.

Nancy - this is what the scarlet milkweed looks like when the Monarchs arrive. The September caterpillars devour ALL of it. The few short stalks left sprouted new leaves after the cats were done - so we dug up two of the plants and put them in the garage to see if they would survive the winter. We also have native milkweed but none around here and the tropical scarlet milkweed is what I find at the nurseries.

Companion shot to my earlier Monarch Cat on milkweed. Shot in my Georgia yard during the fall Monarch migration. That's Lady Huff lantana in the background.

"L" to view on black

Common buckeye on giant coneflowers

Georgia yard

This is my favorite skipper - they are big and colorful. And they don't breed around my yard - I have to wait till late summer for a few to fly up from farther south. They often lose their tails in the process (this guy still has his) and they're skittish!

Happy Butterfly Monday !!