"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Visitors are here.

Well, our company won't be here until later in the day but I finally caught some flying visitors with my camera.  I'm always jumping up and running outside with my camera when I see butterflies or dragonflies, which of course are usually gone by the time I get outside.  
There have been a pair of dragonflies in our front yard everyday now, occasionally I find them above the pond too.  I've waited and waited for them to land and they never do.  A couple of days ago one by the pond would hover about a foot away from my face, then zoom off around me.  It actually started to freak me out a little.  I would try and take it's picture as it looked me in the eye but could never catch more than a blur.
Yesterday I finally had some luck.

This is one of the dragonflies stopping for a very quick rest on the butterfly bush.  It waited long enough for one shot.

The other one posed a bit longer and I was able to get this nice shot with the blue sky behind it.

This little Skipper kept returning to the Echinacea.  Until I started reading blogs I thought these were moths.  I remember being a little kid in Southern California how my friends and I would pick them up by their wings.  We would look at them and let them go.

Back again, this time you  can see his tongue or proboscis sipping the nectar.


I was watching this guy busy sipping, when suddenly it gets a big surprise...

In the last few days I've seen lots of Cabbage white butterflies and a few Swallowtails and Painted Ladies.  None of which were in the butterfly garden that is now in full bloom.  I keep waiting to see several landing at once, but it sounds like many bloggers are noticing less butterflies this year.
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32 comments:

  1. Ha! That's funny the bee scared it away. Those skippers sure are busy this time of the year. Great job on capturing the dragonflies. I've not had luck as they are so active.

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  2. I love the video!
    I had something similar happen last week. A hummingbird was sitting on a tomato cage and then a large dragonfly decided he also wanted to sit on the cage. It was so funny as the hummingbird was being totally territorial and kept chasing the dragonfly away. This happened about 4 times before the dragonfly decided to go elsewhere. I wish I had had my camera. (that never seems to happen)

    Michelle

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  3. Hi Catherine~~ Your video was LOL funny! Don't you love nature? I didn't know that skippers were called skippers but I've always wondered. They always favor the asters in my garden. There are a lot of butterflies here, mostly swallowtails. The dragonflies freak me out too. Any bug that is more than a half inch long is ultra-creepy to me. Have fun with your human guests too.

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  4. Lovely pictures, Catherine.

    I never manage to catch them: yet we've had swarms of dragonflies this week_we counted 36 at one point.

    Do have fun with your human visitors ;-)

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  5. I just discovered your blog and I love it. If you want visit my blog at http://rusticranch.blogspot.com Hope to keep seeing your great photos. DAR

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  6. Beautiful Dragonfly -- I love the lacy design of their wings. And great capture of the Skipper on the Echinacea. They are such cute butterflies. I think it's the big eyes.

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  7. Like the video Catherine and that picture of the dragonfly on the buddleia is just gorgeous!

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  8. Really pretty dragonflies. I thought the video was very cute - talk about rude surprises!!! Have fun with your guests.

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  9. My first thought after looking at your pictures and video was: Summer is beautiful!

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  10. Guess I've seen what I thought was moths too - didn't know it was a Skipper Butterfly.
    Love your dragonfly picture with the blue sky behind it. How beautiful it shows off the wings.
    Your video was delightful! He sure disappeared fast - just about as fast as I do when a bee comes close!
    Isn't this weather cold and heavenly? 2 more cooler ones tomorrow. I think I've died and gone to heaven.

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  11. Can we really have 2 more cooler days tomorrow? LOL I meant tomorrow and the next day! UH DUH!

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  12. Haha, excellent video!
    We have tons of dragonflies, but not as many butterflies, where we live, and I love 'em all. You sure got some great photos of them on your plants.
    Have fun with your visitors!

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  13. Catherine,

    Given your out west I'm not much help on these dragonflies and the skipper. The dragonfly is a darner of the mosaic darner family, these can be confusing out west. If it was here I'd call in a Springtime Darner, but they are long gone and do not stay around for the heat.

    Great shot of the darner with the sky for background that one is surely a keeper!

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  14. Some really great shots. Your last blog showing your entry way is really beautiful. Nice work.

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  15. Wow so awesome that you got that bee on video like that! Too cool! I love your pics of the dragon fly. I have yet to be able to catch a pic of one on my own. -Jackie

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  16. Wow, how lucky to catch that on video!! Neat!
    Have fun with your human visitors :)

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  17. Hi Catherine - Thanks for your nice comment about my daughter. She sure was excited to put those berries into service as ice cream decorations, ha ha. We never have too many butterflies in my garden, despite having a lot that they supposedly like. Not sure why - maybe I am not the best at providing a water source aside from the birdbath. I need to read up on that, I think that's part of your good habitat there for the dragonflies too (I always seem to see them on or near water). Hope you have fun with your visitors, and I love your new(? or not, just noticed it now) sidebar comment on your likes and family and stuff. Might not have pegged you for a hip-hop blaster but I am like that too. :)

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  18. Hi Catherine

    Buddleja and Echinacea are great butterfly magnets.

    I like your photos.

    Sure enough that little fella gets a shock.

    Rob

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  19. Such a wonderfully multicoloured dragonfly! it's rare to see dragonflies here, in my garden, at least. Guess there should be a river source somewhere?

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  20. Loved that video..it cracked me up!
    Glad you finally caught your elusive dragonfly....it is a great shot!

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  21. Great pics! AMAZING! love the dragonfly very cool!

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  22. Nice photos Catherine. I haven't gotten a dragonfly pic this year either. Hopefully that will change for me too. I just spent a little time catching up on posts I've missed. Your garden looks really beautiful even if it is hotter and drier than normal. I love that 'cheddar' trollius and the planter at your spray park is gorgeous. Our city just put in a spray park last summer and it's been a big hit as well. We've gone there several times this summer even tho it hasn't been as hot for us as you've had it. Enjoy your company!

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  23. I think butterfly bush is one of my favorite plants in the garden, and yet I feel kind of sad when I see that it is blooming...
    GartenGrl at Planning Plants to Plant

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  24. Love the running water in the background of the video. We actually have had a lot of butterflies and hummers this year in North Florida..

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  25. That's a wonderful photo of the dragon fly! Actually in London I have seen more butterflies this year than ever before. Particularly the cabbage whites, unfortunately!

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  26. Great pictures as always - so clear and captures the colours so well. Loved the video! I've had a couple of brown and orange butterflies (I don't know my butterflies at all) come and go in my garden but I haven't noticed any dragonflies yet.

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  27. Yes the pears are from our tree. I have put up 30 half pints of sweet pear relish, (wonderful on butter beans and peas) made three fresh pear pies, (making 2 more tomorrow to take to dinner at my SIL house) I have cooked some pears down on the stove with butter, cinnamon and sugar, wrapped them in cresent rolls and baked them and I have made little bowls out of canned biscuits and put the pear mixture in them and baked them too. We love to slice them and just bake them in the over with spices and sugar and eat right out of the pan!! Still have pears to cook!!

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  28. Wow! You caught these with such clarity! What setting did you have it on? What a neat treat to be able to capture these quick things on camera. This morning I was watering a few flowers when I saw a beautiful monarch on my rose bush. I rushed inside to get my camera, but alas, it had disappeared! Sniff.

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  29. Oh that was scary! Poor little skipper. I think their wings look like fighter jets. HA Your capture of the dragonflies was great! We are beginning to see more butterflies, maybe it was just too early in the season for them. I keep checking the bronze fennel for the catts, none so far, but the swallowtails are here, just now so the catts should show up soon and them lots more butterflies, hopefully.
    Frances

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  30. That video is priceless!

    I had my own unexpected visitor in my garden during lunch today. Looked up to see a Coopers Hawk a few feet outside my door daintily eating the lunch he had apparently shopped for at my birdfeeder.

    Simultaneously fascinating and disgusting.

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  31. Super photos - wish mine were half as good.

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