Last Saturday, I noticed that there was a lot of fluttering going on around the garden. Everywhere I turned it seemed I saw a butterfly. By Sunday, the skies were full of butterflies. When we walked out to our car after church, there were butterflies everywhere we looked. They were all flying with a purpose instead of milling about. They were all headed north. At first I thought they were Monarch butterflies because I didn't know of any other butterfly that migrated. But they weren't big enough to be Monarchs.
On the drive home we continued to see hundreds of butterflies all headed north. By the time we got home I knew I needed to get my camera and try to photograph one. As I headed inside I glanced at our lilac bush and saw at least two butterflies on it getting a sip.
After changing out of my Sunday dress, I went out and camped out under the lilac bushes. I had to wait a while and be very still. The butterflies continued to fly north over our garden. Finally, one lighted on the lilac so I could get a shot.
Click image to view largerThese definitely weren't Monarch butterflies. With the photo I was able to identify them. Another migrating butterfly that I didn't know about is the American Painted Lady butterfly and these butterflies are a variety called the West Coast Lady butterfly.
In my waiting for one of the migratory butterflies to light on a blossom, I was delighted to have a Western Tiger Swallowtail come down for a snack (see photo at beginning of post). They are my favorite butterfly visitor in our garden. I find their caterpillars in our fennel all the time and get excited when I do because I know it will be a gorgeous butterfly someday.
As I've observed the butterflies over this week, I've been interested in the difference between the "attitudes" of the two types of butterflies. The West Coast Lady butterflies are definitely on a mission. They aren't easily distracted out of flight even by the yummiest of flowers. But the Western Tiger Swallowtail is a happy-go-lucky local butterfly. It flits from blossom to blossom in a leisurely way as if it hasn't a care in the world.
Kinda like people isn't it? Which butterfly are you more like--the West Coast Lady or the Western Tiger Swallowtail?
