Butterfly Gardening and Conservation

First Giant Swallowtail of the year!

I went outside today and saw a big Giant Swallowtail butterfly nectaring in my garden! First I've seen this year! Of course, I didn't have the camera with me. And of course, after I got it, it didn't have film in it. The butterfly stayed around a long time, but not long enough. By the time I got the film in, it had gone! Still, it was really beautiful! I checked the hop trees, no eggs. I think it may have been a male anyway. I hope it comes back again! And I promised myself, I will make sure the camera always has film in it!!!!

The Monarch caterpillars are all doing fine, all 8 of them, in the enclosure. The Black Swallowtails look fine too. I need to go out and take a couple of pictures tonight.

I also found a small Monarch caterpillar on a Common Milkweed plant in the garden today. They supposedly don't like to lay eggs on them as much as some other kinds of milkweed. I was surprised to find any at all. So far, no eggs on the Purple Milkweed either.