Tiger Swallowtail
Lately I’ve been wondering why I haven’t seen any Tiger Swallowtails around my yard, though I’d been seeing them flitting around Belfair and Nisqually.
They seem late this year, but yesterday while we were eating dinner I noticed that one had landed on the Crocosmia and seemed to be hanging around instead of just flitting by. I excused myself, to my camera and spent the next ten minutes taking pictures:
I’d never seen a Swallowtail so indifferent to movements around him, but I’m certainly not complaining because I love how the red flower contrasts with the yellow and black:
loren
Wow! This recent series from your yard is wonderful. The Tiger Swallowtail and the Crocosmia — Wow! I love the reddish orange flowers, the magenta and yellow buds along with the green stems, and the black, white, pale yellow, green and touches of blue in the butterfly.
Looks as if it’s going to be a sunny SUNday up here.
I was lucky enough to grow up in the country, and had an opportunity to study a lot of different insects.
I remember how surprised I was when I learned that dragonflies are territorial. You tend to think of defined territories as something for more advanced animals, but really it’s pretty common among insect predators.
These are beautiful! I’ve been looking here too, but the Monarchs and Swallowtails are very late this year.
kerrdelune — 6:35 am July 22, 2008
Very nice, the red and yellow and black!!!
Ron Southern — 1:59 pm July 23, 2008