July 29, 2008

Butterflies come in 'herds'...

It looks like this is the season to turn into butterfly.

So if you plan to do so, consider 'now' as the best time. In my garden they suddenly appeared - according to the information now is the time they emerge.
The butterfly pictured on the upper picture with a beautiful name Enachis io, is very common here in my garden. They are fed on Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) and as I decided to keep some growing in non disturbing areas of the garden, they are encouraged to be the inhabitants, not visitors.

Yesterday when I was sitting outside and reading, 2 of them came to me and sat on my arms.

Two new kinds appeared also. The left one it is Mourning Beauty (US), Camberwell Beauty (UK) or Nymphalis antiopa. On the right one you can see The Comma (Polygonia c-album).
I have spotted Mourning Beauty few days ago - this is easy to understand after you see how it is flying - large wings make themy fly with dignity. It's large wings that can spread up to 9 cm and that makes it one of the largest butterflies in Poland.
I couldn't take picture earlier, because it was always escaping. They are shy butterflies.
This morning I was very lucky - it allowed me to come very, very close.
I was wondering why it does not come seat on flowers, but keeps returning either to the bench or to the branches of the trees, so I digged the subject.
Things became clear: they prefer tree saps or fermenting fruits - I have plenty of cherries that we didn't use and they fall to ground. Many critters are fed with it :)

Isn't it posing nice to the picture? Unfortunately it didn't want to open the wings for picture.

18 comments:

Katarina said...

I love butterflies in gardens! I can sit for hours watching them fly from flower to flower.
_ Nice shots!
/Katarina

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen said...

Hi Ewa,

How lovely to see that you have so many butterflies in your garden and so many different kinds too. Yours is a very butterfly friendly garden. Loved the pics!

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Butterflies are notorious for not opening their wings while sitting. The pictures you did manage to get are just wonderful. You have beautiful butterflies in your garden.

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Hi Ewa, wonderful butterflies. Your garden seems to be the ideal place for them. I love to watch the dance of the butterflies. I am always excited when I see a new one. The last one looks wooly with a crochet border.

Ewa said...

Katarina,
yes, you are right - butterflies are mesmerising. When I go now to the garden, they are flying around much more, than in previous years :) I feel like butterfly mama :)

Yolanda,
I stopped using any pesticides in my garden, went organic and keep plants which butterflies like - and this is one of the results :)

Lisa,
Yes, especially when they know somebody is waiting for it :)
BTW, do you know maybe the link for that falcon watch you have mentioned?

Titania,
You are right, it looks unusual - and it is so exciting to see new kind in the garden.

CIELO said...

Wow, what a good camera... and photographer YOU are! Wonderful shots... and beautiful pics...

cielo

Anonymous said...

Lovely pictures Ewa! The butterflies are starting to emerge here in NY too! This week I posted a picture of a Giant Swallowtail that landed on a buddleia in my father in law's garden. Thank you for sharing the pictures and having the patience to take them!

Gail said...

I love your photo of the butterfly on the coneflower! Echinacea are favorites of butterflies everywhere! Yours may be different but they have the good sense to know a good plant!

Gail

Anonymous said...

So nice, I have butterflies in my garden too.

A wildlife gardener said...

Fabulous fairies, these butterflies. They fly in for a fleeting visit and then fly off till next year :)

Unknown said...

Such lovely photographs of your garden and butterflies. Karen

Garden Wise Guy said...

Nature designs the pattern to scare away predators. I guess we humans just don't know any better, so we're attracted. Lucky us!

garden girl said...

Beautiful butterflies in your garden Ewa. They are so colorful. It's interesting to see how different your butterflies are than they are here.

Carol Soules said...

Wow...you are blessed with a wonderful selection of butterflies. I hope me garden will begin attracting a variety like you have. I have a few now and lots of birds. There is something special about butterflies though. Magical.
I am just back from touring 4 private gardens in the Southern Berkshires (western Massachusetts) and am chocked full of inspiration.... for another year!!
Hope your summer is going well.
Carol in Mass.
terranovadesign.blogspot.com

gintoino said...

beautiful butterflies! I like the last one specially. Its so hot around here that even butterflies went away ;-)

Julia Erickson said...

Wow, those butterflies are amazing!

Barbara said...

This year we also have again a lot of butterflies. But unfortunately it is quite difficult to catch them with the camera.... Nevertheless, I enjoy their summer dance!

teresa g. said...

That's the problem with butterflies, they like to pose with closed wings :)

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