Just the back yard!? Nah, I want the front and side yards landscaped in natives too.



Friday, October 19, 2012

...Not Over by a Long Shot!

For the past three days I've been out taking photos inspired by the fall...but especially inspired by the activity that the asters are attracting.  Yesterday, I got a huge surprise:  brand new monarch butterfly!  She was absolutely pristine!



Wing detail:

I was thrilled to see her, but she flew off after I took some pictures, I hate to think I scared her off...I was really hoping to see her the next day, but no luck...perhaps she had to go; she has a LONG journey ahead of her!

Today, I saw more pollinators and another species or two of butterfly.  ~smile~  As hard as I tried to show the amazing activity busying themselves all over the asters, the photos don't do it justice.
























4 comments:

Ellen Honeycutt said...

How beautiful to see the last few monarchs. I stopped yesterday to photograph a late blooming field of goldenrod with little bluestem. Two monarch butterflies were nectaring up in the goldenrod while I was there.

David said...

Yes, it was amazing to see one so late in the season! Mostly those I see during the summer are older and their wings are often battered. It almost seems this one just emerged from her chrysalis.

I'm glad you have a natural area where you were able to enjoy *two* late season monarchs building their energy reserves on these late-blooming natives...in a field of little bluestem no less! That is one of my favorite grasses.

Rebecca said...

We have what I think is the same white aster. It's weedy (at least here), but the bees and butterflies do love it.

David said...

This aster isn't too bad...I have another white one that is even nicer--I just moved a piece of it into my landscaping...the leaves create an airy, fine texture during the summer, then a profusion of blooms in the late fall. Another white one is a bit weedier (is that a word?) than the one above...but, again the pollinators love it...which makes me like it all that much more. :)