The recent stretch of dry weather has certainly brought out the frequency and abundance of butterflies. Yesterday on a walk we spotted multiple Eastern Tiger Swallowtails (Papilio glaucus). This is a very distinctive butterfly, think ‘bright yellow monarch’ it flutters in a similar fashion to the monarch and is the same relative size. Because of its yellow color it is easy to spot either flying or when it alights upon a flowering plant. I have noticed with the polarity of cone flower in our neighborhood it has really brought an abundance of other smaller species also.
Additionally, I believe I spotted a Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) but it was at a distance. It does however, prefer to feed on milkweed and clover both of which grow near our neighborhood. the milkweed grows in and around a water retention pond and the clover grows in an undeveloped lot on the edge of our housing development and near a cornfield. Unfortunately, as I wrote in yesterday’s post regarding habitat loss this field was recently mowed and the clover was reduced to stubble for now.
Watershed Stewardship - Coldstream Creek 