The agastache has been busy.
Flight patterns convoluted. Flybys frequent. Inter-insect skirmishes unavoidable.
A monarch came by, joining the painted ladies. The monarch lifts and then floats, like a falling leaf, and opens its wings ever fourth beat, when resting. The painted ladies dart and flitter. The butterfly explosion is very recent. After that great red admiral migration to Canada in the spring things have been quiet.
Later, skippers (I think) visited. They skip. There are more bees than an un-entomologist can tell apart.
Check back for more butterflies, soon. There will be a butterfly count and a rare giveaway.
The winner (Estorbo will draw a name out of a hat, as always - he may be grumpy but he is scrupulously honest) will receive a year's subscription to Wilder Quarterly - a new gardening publication whose spring and summer issues I have enjoyed, courtesy of the (Brooklyn-based) publisher. I like the magazine. It's not your regular glossy. And I like you. And I missed this blog's birthday (oops). It turned five in May. How many is that in blog years? 250? Ancient.
More about Wilder tomorrow.
Butterflies are few and far between in the UK this year - mainly due to bad weather conditions - yours are beautiful
ReplyDeleteVery pretty!
ReplyDeleteMy hyssop is crazy w/ butterflies this week, all mini Monarchs.....I love the unusual middle butterfly on your plants!
ReplyDeleteMy lantana has been crazy with monarchs for a few weeks now. A small mothlike insect is also there in the hot sun in the middle of the day. Is that what a skipper is? I don't think I've ever seen a painted lady here.
ReplyDeletea nice description of Estorbo. I do love him.
ReplyDeleteOh, gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteHappy
ReplyDeleteBlog
Birthday.
I think we are the same age, divided by months.