Poor Swallowtail’s wings look a little ragged. The tails are gone and there’s a whole chunk missing from the left lower wing. A narrow escape from a bird’s beak, perhaps?
This one appears to have had better fortune to date. So pretty!
Just one more. . .
Swallowtails only live in their beautiful adult form a couple of weeks at best. That’s not a lot of time to accomplish the very important task of carrying pollen from one flower to the next, not to mention posing for the camera and still finding time to reproduce. Remind me not to complain when I feel pressed for time.
Have a lovely day, and take time to enjoy the moment!
Beautiful photos-love butterflies and I didn't know swallowtails lived such a short time!
ReplyDeleteWell what do you know! After your last post, I told my husband --who is the green thumb in our family -- that we should get a butterfly bush. After looking at your picture, he realized that the one plant we haven't been able to identify in our yard was, in fact, a butterfly bush! Thanks for helping us clear up this mystery.
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely photos and swallowtail information. This was all news to me and I found it fascinating. I couldn't help but notice what a beautiful background your flowers made for this wonderous creature. Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteThese are wonderful creations. Such beautiful creations.
ReplyDeleteSuch lovely pictures Leslie. Your posts brighten my day.
ReplyDeleteAnd Mother Nature is still there for the first one to get it's job done....
ReplyDeleteSuch a Lovely post for today!!!
Beautiful pictures Leslie. We had a swallowtail last year in our yard that had part of the wing chomped off - not sure what happened there, but like you said perhaps a mishap with a bird. Your flowers are beautiful. Thanks for the pretty images that made me smile. Have a wonderful day.
ReplyDeleteThese are beautiful! We had 24 Swallowtail pupas, one for each child, in first grade last year. It was so neat to watch them hatch and fly away. There were a couple that came out of the chrysalis like that. Not sure why though, but they were still able to fly away. :)
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos, gorgeous butterflies. I didn't know their adult life was so short. Feeling bad for the one who had most of his wing torn off!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos of the butterflies feel sorry for the one with it's tail mostly gone. Have never seen Swallow tails before
ReplyDeleteI don't think we get those here.
Take care
Hazel G
Gorgeous pics, I don't see many butterflies around here, they have a butterfly house in St. Louis I think, been thinking about checking it out!
ReplyDeleteThese are so gorgeous - the butterflies and your beautiful garden. Sorry that with working I don't have the time to sit outside much and enjoy the lovely nature around me.
ReplyDeleteAnd then to have to battle for their short life, oh my! Your photos are incredible!!! Thanks so much for sharing your gorgeous garden with all its teeming life...
ReplyDeleteWe have been enjoying our swallowtails too. So gorgeous and beautiful to watch flitting from one flower to another. TFS your bit of heaven.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos, Leslie! That is an amazing Swallowtail to survive and flourish.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post, Leslie! I also love butterflies and even with part of its tail gone, it's still beautiful. Thanks for making me smile today (as you always do)
ReplyDeleteHave a blessed day!
Wow, fantastic pictures Leslie. Butterflies are so amazingly beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are so amazing. You need to publish them or send them to a calendar! Those butterflies are just such a gift aren't they? Makes you thankful to God for creating such beauty and giving us the chance to see it, if only for a few weeks.
ReplyDeleteThese are so pretty! Thanks for sharing these lovely pictures :)
ReplyDeleteso gorgeous, Leslie! We used to have thousands upon thousands of these swallowtails when we lived in southern california. Cocoons would be everywhere, and the munching caterpillars ate everything in site. Most of our school projects involved the life cycle of a butterfly back in the 50s and 60s. Your garden truly is magical. I would love being there, enjoying the various scents of your flowers and petting the soft coats on Lulu and Wally. hugs, de
ReplyDeleteWow you were able to capture more then one. I so rarely see them land and it's hard to get their picture. I'm always amazed at ones who can still fly with damaged wings.
ReplyDeleteLeslie, I don't think these photo's could get any prettier! I have and think I will always be awed by your lovely garden photography. It's amazing the one Swallowtail managed to get away from whatever had him by the seat of the pants -- err, I mean tail. Beautiful, colorful, photo's that brighten a rainy Saturday here in Virginia. Hey, Thursday was gorgeous! *laughing*
ReplyDeleteSaturday hugs coming your way!
Susie ~