As we have had yet another day of dismal weather I have again gone back 12 months to see what I should be seeing outside. Today we could barely see 20m such were the mist and low cloud.
A year ago we had a Mapwing butterfly in the garden.
It is rather drab-looking in this photo but it is definitely in our garden as that is our Lantana it is on and top right is the hint of the Firecracker vine’s orange flower.
They do come much richer and vibrant as I have posted previously:
I sincerely hope that soon the gloom will lift and the butterflies will start visiting. The waiting is becoming rather tedious. Will you please get a move on, Spring.
I hope so too, Andrew, but at least you’ve served up a tempting and colourful flutter by for us.. Yesterday we had full sunshine, today back to cold and overcast… and now I’m on my hands and knees, nope, not praying for Spring , searching for the see through top of my 32GB memory stick, it went flying and has disappeared, totally, how come some things do that? 😉 x
An unusual looking butterfly. The wings are incredible. It’s a wonder it can fly with wings shaped in that manner. So many oddities in nature. Nice shot.
Lovely, Andrew – even if you think it ‘drab’. But … lantana! [ugh!] Downunder it’s a pest, and you’re only allowed to grow it in pots. There’s an excellent Oz movie called ‘Lantana’, and if you saw it you’d be lost re its title unless you knew that. 🙂
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pests-weeds/weeds/profiles/lantana
Lantana in the garden? Here you get fined for growing it. Don’t let it escape Andrew. Lovely shot of the butterfly. Here we must have had a bird inside, I suspect a miner. Our JRT Milo must have gone berserk. We normally leave the door open about 30cm when we go to Sydney. There was bird s#%t everywhere.
I can’t help having a giggle at Gerard’s house full of bird s#%t. There’s an enormous cicada in our bedroom today and the sitting room, which previously was a donkey shed still has the remains of a swallows nest on one of the beams. I’ve never heard of Lantana and I’ve never seen such an extraordinary butterfly, how beautiful. Hope the sunshine comes to you soon, I know the feeling. We are on our 6th day of sun now and oh, what bliss after the heavy rains and mists of February.
Lottie, lantana is very invasive but it attracts wildlife. Butterflies like it. Ours is planted so the roots can’t spread. I love cicadas. Such a soothing noise. I’m glad you have some sun. It makes everything easier, I find. Lucky you 😀
I does indeed. I was in the doldrums a few weeks back but it’s amazing how just a bit of sun can raise ones spirits. Clever idea planting it so that the roots can’t spread and lovely that it encourages butterflies in to your garden. It’s not quite warm enough for the cicadas to be in full sing song but they are slowly appearing as are the bats, Spring must be here!
That is a spectacular butterfly – drab???I don’t think so. the detail photo really shows the colours and textures well. Hope the sun comes out soon.
Thanks Rod. Are you still enjoying the sun in Mexico?
two more weeks – then its back to the great white North
What an astonishing butterfly. I have never seen a Mapwing before, there’s a sort of Charles Rennie Mackintosh feel to it. Delightful. I saw a Tortoiseshell today and we have some Yellow Brimstone’s as well.
Brimstone is usually the first to emerge, I think. A welcome sight on a Spring day. I saw a few browns yesterday but they would not settle.
The Google Maps of the Lep world. I am very happy to see a butterfly, even one from the past. We should start to see Mourning Cloak/Camberwell Beauty-Nymphalis antiopa soon as our first emerging butterfly. We may have had our last seriously cold day, but who knows. It does occasionally snow in April and even a rare time in May.
I may venture out again tomorrow Steve to see what is about. Then I have a very full week. It would be nice to see a few flutterbys.