Butterfly Bushes – A MUST For Your Yard

Dug out the 100mm macro yesterday to play with the butterflies.  I was able to photograph three within a few minutes, then went to sit and watch the kids swim.

If you don’t have a Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii) I would suggest that you put one in at your first opportunity in the spring.  I have two purple and one white, and depending on the time of year they are visited by a constant stream of butterflies.

Silver Spotted Skipper
© Sharon Wilbur 2012

My thanks to Jess Alvarez for tagging the Skipper.

This guy (above)  had a bit of a wing problem, which I thought would incapacitate him, but it obviously didn’t.  I took this angle – check out the body, which has the same markings as the wings!  This is an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.

Monarch
© Sharon Wilbur 2012

Last but not least, and one of the more shy creatures in the yard, is the Monarch.  He let me get a little bit close, but is very easily spooked.  Thank God for the ultrasonic focus mechanism 🙂

Gotta run – just saw a new one fly by!