Jeff Goll recently photographed this beautiful Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly.
I saw Monarch Butterflies yesterday at the Gualala Community Center. There are some huge Butterfly bushes there that the Monarchs were feeding on. There are also several active Barn Swallow nests there.
Thanks to Jeff for allowing me to share his beautiful photo with you here.
It's a glorious day here today, sunny and mild. Perfect weather for Art in the Redwoods at the Gualala Arts Center!
Pat Maxwell found this Anise Swallowtail Butterfly on her appropriately-named Butterfly bush.
And Catherine Miller spotted this Pale Swallowtail Butterfly feeding on the geraniums in her garden recently.
The other swallowtail we commonly see here on the coast is a Western Tiger Swallowtail. This photo was taken some years ago by Peter Baye. This lovely butterfly is feeding on one of my favorite native wildflowers, the Leopard Lily.
Thanks to Pat, Catherine and Peter for allowing me to share their photos with you here.
Today is simply one of the most beautiful days on the Mendonoma Coast - sunny, bright with a gently breeze.
Also called Leopard Lilies, California Tiger Lilies are gracing us with their presence. Lilium pardalinum is their Latin name. They are native to California and southern Oregon. They grow near water, loving boggy conditions.
Here a Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly is feeding on a Tiger Lily. I saw one of these butterflies today, flitting through my garden.
In my original post I identified this butterfly as an Anise Swallowtail. Ron LeValley kindly gave me the correct identification and sent this link, which shows both butterflies, side-by-side: http://levalleyphoto.com/gallery/viewphoto.php?id=37 Thanks, Ron!