my v frits waited until I was napping to emerge , but were still drying their wings when I got up.
butterfly #1 was spreading it's wings first and flew off the second I let it out.





I placed Butterfly #2 on a young butterfly bush bloom and it hung around for a few shots

Thanks for sharing, Kurt! I've never seen a newly-eclosed frit before! It is quite pretty!

very special! what a delight!

Well done Kurt! Thanks for sharing.

@Sallyg do you have any tags left? I could use 16 more if you have finished...Still have 16 active cats who won't be leaving for Mexico until Halloween!.

I have only 2 tags, and one chrysalis left. I could mail that one to you. (need address) Robin, did you use all yours?
Tagged and released a pretty girl this evening, she did a loop around the yard, and paused in a tree.

I have some more left! No worries, Mariposa!

I have an assortment of large and small butterflies. If you have a variety of flowers, they will come. But I am happiest seeing the hummingbirds arrive year after year. I always seem to get 3, 2 males and a female.

I sometimes wonder if they are descendents of the original visitors from 25 years go when I first saw one in the garden and started putting out feeders. Possibly, but only DNA tests each year would prove it. All I know is that I always have several and that some pair always makes a nest in a cedar tree in the back yard.

That cedar tree only survives for their use. It annoys me otherwise. It was 4' high the first time I discovered a hummingbird nest in it and it is 12" high now. I'm glad it grows slowly. But they seem to think it is the best nesting site in the world, so it stays.

As long as this place stays mine, that tree is theirs. If I ever move, I will write an ownership manual about the yard for the new owners (where the Spring bulbs will come up, what the hostas are, etc). But that cedar tree will be the first page.

Interesting and sweet story.
. I don't use feeders but we do see them around. I chose red pentas this year, hoping they would like them.

I was finally able to attract a regular hummingbird visitor this year with Cardinal Climber--first year I have had it, and it vined nicely up by old clothesline pole and across the first foot of the old lines. I would see the hummingbird come and sip delicately at the individual blossoms, then patrol the yard for other good nectar sources, then go back to the Cardinal Climber. I tried various kinds of hummingbird feeders filled with various attempts at hummingbird nectar, but was not successful with that. Cardinal Climber will be a regular part of my yard now!

great!
I got a new trellis this year for moonflower vine, Sure enough the moonflower swallowed it whole and took off. Cardinal Climber is my plan for new year there.

this was my first year trying cardinal climbers , the plan was to try a couple on our weaker butterfly bush trellis but the squirrel had two babies and were doing a lot of digging including my first couple plants so I planted a couple extra and covered all with cages and ended up with a few along the fence line too . Definitely planning on planting it again next year. not sure where just yet , still working on that. lol

I wonder if it ever reseeds itself?

35 BST caterpillars all getting quite big now. I'm just about out of fennel now but thankfully I see many of them heading up to the top of the habitat now to form their chrysalises.

I haven't seen any seeds yet.

I have 26 chrysalises and no caterpillars finally. The one on the lovage plant did get away from me.
I just hope it didn't climb onto my shrimp plant that was right next to it and will be coming inside soon.

Glad to hear they have all transformed! I hope mine do soon as well...

The E. side of my has an old, not much uses, wrought Iron landing 4 steps up.
I never use this door on the side--so It is a small source of light for all my CC's during the winter.
I grow a cardinal Climber every year. Love the bright, red blooms it has--but hate its incessant vining and climbing all over this railing.
This summer--I planted just ONE plant of it. it is all over the porch and railing.
I have loads of seeds for this vine. You can have all you want.

Another beautiful vining and blooming vine is the Picotee M.G.
The leaves are so different and attractive. The blue or pink blooms have
white margins. It is not overly aggressive as a vine--the leaves cover
a lot of the stems too.

I have not grown this for a few years. I want to,,,,I have seeds...
I have a notation below this that it is called "Ipomoea Nil Type" "Kikiyo"

I cannot find my pictures of it from 2008. But--I googled it--and under all the "Images"--this was the best. My seeds had some pink ones mixed in as well... https://www.bing.com/images/se...
Check it out. Gita

I want to grow japanese morning glories again next year, too! I have a few "older" seeds, not sure if they'll be viable still but likely. I also have some new seeds that Lovesgreatdanes just shared with me -- pink & blue noids that she's been growing and letting cross for a while for some lovely results. There's a photo thread on the MG forum that's fascinating.

I've grown Cardinal Climber many years up the pole by the patio where a hummingbird feeder hangs... Cypress Vine (aka "Hummingbird Vine") also... I tend to get them confused LOL. I've also grown Orange Noah, another small-flowering bright morning glory, up that pole.

I think all 3 can be successfully winter sowed here, but I've never had any volunteers. All are HB magnets! Not sure why I both with the feeder...

Cardinal Climber (Ipomoea x multifida)
Cypress Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit)
Red Morning Glory (Ipomoea coccinea)

I mix up cardinal climber and cypress vine too. I think I can be forgiven.

In the interest of accuracy, I posted this link to facebook
http://www.snopes.com/bee-spec...

after reading a scare-post that in essence said "Bees are endangered, you are about to lose all strawberries, coffee, and avocados". I just hate generalizations and wish people were more educated about all things scientific.
One of them for example, lives in coastal vegetation on Hawaii and doesn't sounds like it would ever approach a plantation. Habitat loss is the big threat.
http://www.xerces.org/hylaeus-...

thanks for the info, Sally! I am sorry to hear about those 7 species of yellow-faced bees in Hawaii. I continue to worry about the long-term fate of other bees as well. :-(

Cypress vine! Thanks for the reminder about that--I'll have to add that to my cardinal climber for next year--and I really like the idea of hanging a hummingbird feeder in the midst of the cardinal climber!

I hadn't looked in a couple weeks with the rain and all but I do see plenty of seed pods out there on both my cardinal climbers patches now.

[quote="Catmint20906"]I wonder if it ever reseeds itself?{quote]

Yes...and if anyone is in need of seeds I should have both...plenty...but can't promise they won't be mixed up.