Butterfly Photo Shoot

Friday afternoon I went out to check the mail box and found this lovely creature visiting some of the flowers we planted earlier--with enticing creatures like this in mind. We love flowers and beautiful winged creatures like this one, which I believe might be a Tiger Swallow? Fascinated, I watched as it slurped its way through several of the dianthus blooms then drifted off, circled around--as only butterflies can--and came back for more. I dashed into the house, up the stairs and grabbed the camera hoping for the chance to catch a few shots of it going about its business. (And I didn't fall down or break anything, either! That was pretty cool in itself.)

I was at first disappointed when I stepped back outside. My pretty subject had flitted away. But I waited and watched and it came along, teasing me by drawing close then swirling off and around, up to the roof and drifting back as if it were deciding whether or not I was friend or foe before it settled on one flower or another satisfying its need for the sweet nectar.

Isn't it lovely? And it's such a large butterfly, it was fairly easy to follow it around!

It also made it a bit easier to catch a shot up fairly close

without it flitting away and me losing sight of it.

More often than I dared to hope, it fully opened its wings and allowed me to get very close and snap its picture.

This plant with the white blossoms is called a "butterfly plant" by the folks we bought it from.

Early on I noticed that one of its "swallow tail" tails was missing. After downloading the pictures, I noticed that its wing (the left one) seems to have sustained damage further up as well. That made me sad, to see such a lovely creature damaged.

This little bush is called a butterfly bush. Appropriate, I guess.

I actually saw its underside more often than top side. Perhaps its body weight caused that to occur. I'm not sure.

I think you can really see the damage quite clearly in this shot. Poor dear.

Isn't it beautiful regardless?

I hope I'm not boring you out of your mind. I was/am so amazed that this pretty insect allowed me the privilege of taking so many pictures of it.

It was fun watching it take off and return again and again.

Oh, and just in case you're wondering who that great masculine image is . . .

standing as a back-drop . . . That's my one and only.

Perspective being what it is, as BB of Granite Glen mentioned in her most recent blog post . . . my man is 6'4". (I know you don't get to see the entire package. Sorry. He's a bit camera shy.) Not sure about the butterfly's size, but I think it's around a 5" wing span. Since I didn't have my ruler with me at the time, and it might not have stood still long enough for me to measure it anyway . . . Well, I'm sure you understand. Besides, with one damaged wing, I wasn't about to do something to cause further trauma.