1 of my 3 black swallowtails eclosed yesterday. H/she is dining on garlic chive blooms and honey water... I don't think there's any point in releasing her, because there's no way for another generation to be complete before freeze. So, we're "keeping her comfortable" and enjoying her company. (She's residing in the covered glass cakestand on the back of the island!) 1 of the other chrysalises looks like it may eclose soon, too, but fortunately the third is still nice and green.

It's nice that he/she is eating...I could never get butterflies to accept anything I gave them while they were indoors...even flowers.

She likes the flowers better than the nectar, but she's taken a few sips from the nectar also. I have it in a little container with a piece of kitchen sponge (to keep her out of the sticky stuff). I used a tablespoon of honey plus 1/4 cup of water, with a drop of soy sauce.

Elaeagnus Ebbingei flowers are a wonderful off season source of pollen and nectar. They have a delightful fragrance like honeysuckle and jasmine.

What an interesting plant, Mike! I hope some insects are still around to benefit from it.

@Donnerville there's a bee feeding in the picture. The past week I've seen it covered in bees and little brown, moth looking butterflies

Oh! I didn't notice before but now I C D B.

p.s.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0671666894/

Great! I didn't realize that the phone was current.

thanks for the article Gita. Wow, that woman has raised and tagged over 2,000 monarchs!

EvergreenMike said:


Elaeagnus Ebbingei flowers are a wonderful off season source of pollen and nectar. They have a delightful fragrance like honeysuckle and jasmine.

Ohhh for the love of all that is holy...the temptation is becoming too much. Mike - please remind me once more where you purchased that plant from and/or might you be doing any cuttings come spring?

All: rec'd an email from one of the places (The Monarch butterfly shop) I'd found that carried the cages with a coupon for 20% off of total of one purchase. Discount code HOHOHO20 https://monarchbutterflyshop.n...

thanks for the link and code, Chantell.
Oh, the tshirt, gave me a chuckle!!

@Chantell, http://plantsbymail.com/elaeag...
This is literally the only place I could find it that ships in the US. It seems it's more common in the UK. I'll try cuttings for sure. The plants grow ridiculously fast, so they won't miss a few branches.

@EvergreenMike - oh my...that would be greatly appreciated!!! I can certainly try to root my tea olive esp with you being 7b it should do fine for you. The scent of those lil teeny blooms is wonderful!!!

Given my fondness for fragrant shrubs...I really need a larger yard then my townhouse provides

I got my suet cake put out this morning. While doing so, I had a nice view and listen , I thought I heard nuthatch but the bird I saw looked like chickadee.. One went to the feeder offering millet, safflower, and peanut chips, I think..it was a 'less messy' mix from Ace. I hesitate to offer any peanuts when they draw squirrels in to scatter the seed.

Sally, I just ordered C D B... thanks!

Checking to see if that's the site that carried all those different sizes of butterfly enclosures... nope, will have to scroll up to find that link...

However i got a real chuckle out of their new accessory... a "Poo Poo Platter" removable bottom liner... It's been a long time, but I remember when a "Pu Pu Platter" (appetizer sampler) was a staple item on Chinese restaurant menus, along with flaming, multi-straw drinks!

For all of us who are running out of space to do all of the growing we'd like to do, I found these two articles on growing potted tree and shrub host and nectar plants for bee and butterflies to be well timed.

http://monarchbutterflygarden....

http://www.butterfliesinthegar...

For a treat scroll to the bottom of this page and watch the videos of the Butterfly Habitat Brenda has created and the variety of plants she grows!
http://www.butterfliesinthegar...

It looks like there were more than my few late migrating Monarch butterflies this year!
https://capemaymonarchs.blogsp...

Hope some tags are recovered in Mexico or along the way. Saw my last Monarch on Monday! Via con dios little ones.

A small group of bluebirds spent a while fluttering about in our trees.

Got my suet put up and bought some safflower and millet.

I miss the bluebirds that used to call my yard home and hope they choose to hang around this winter! I haven't put any suet out yet, but I guess it is about that time!

I just got back from visiting my daughter in Utah, and have grape vine envy to the point that I'm thinking about where I could plant one! She and her neighbors all have grape vines, and there were more than enough grapes for the birds, homeowners and random people who came by to pick the bunches hanging on the alley sides of the fences.

When I was a kid, a couple neighbors had grape vines. They probably were poorly tended, just seemed like wasp magnets and sour grapes. Do you have a sunny place for one? Up on the hill maybe?

I have several native hollies rescued and planted along the back. I noticed today, they grew well this year! I keep looking for them to bloom, maybe 2017....want to know how many male/female I got. For the birds.