Monday, November 16, 2009

A Butterfly Wisp

From In the Garden
Gulf Frittilary (thank Meems!)

From In the Garden
Unknown? Can anyone help identify this butterfly?

From In the Garden
Monarch


From In the Garden
Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
From In the Garde

Great Spangled Frittilary (Speyeria cybele)

From In the Garden
Red Spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)??



A wisp of air from
the wings of a butterfly
sailing into fall.

P.S. Poetry is so not my thing and never has been but while walking on Fort Campbell's Clarksville Base trail one day I was inspired to try to write a haiku because the feeling of a butterfly flying up into my path brought a wisp of air to my face. The touch most soft and kind. This is my one and only entry into the poetry arena and while it does not rhyme it does follow the classic 5/7/5 syllables of haiku (the only kind of poem I remember from high school:) I debated sharing it but said why not. Hope you enjoyed the photos of the butterflies, and if I've misidentified any please do let me know. The butterflies have been simply wonderful this year....

in the garden....

34 comments:

  1. And if you saw all of those or most of them in one day, no wonder it evoked a haiku. Very nice.

    ReplyDelete
  2. We have had a great showing of butterflies this year too. Your yard is just beautiful behind the butterfly in the first photo!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your pictures are amazing Tina! I have noticed there seems to be lots more butterflies this year. However, do ya know I have not seen any monarchs! I wonder if all that rain we got has anything to do with that??

    ReplyDelete
  4. Amazing photos, Tina. I love your haiku too!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dawn, Not all in one day no. The pics were taken over a period of time. Skeeter convinced me to post them all at once. They are wonderful 'flying flowers'.

    Darla, You are most kind to notice the yard. Glad you like my front yard. I've worked hard on it.

    Linda, Thanks! I would think the rain would actually help the butterflies as most insects seem to have done well this year (read ants, mosquitos etc). Not sure why the monarchs have not arrived. They might yet we still have a few here.

    Lzyjo, Thanks! Haiku is like the only thing I remember from high school in the way of poems. So not my thing but the butterflies-yes.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good for you to write a haiku! I don't have poetry creative juices. Apparently YOU can be inspired!
    Love your butterfly pictures. I don't know many varieties of butterflies. I do love seeing them!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Tina...these are amazing butterfly shots!! And your garden is at its loveliest(?) in the first photo. Although I can identify several butterflies from my region, many of these, except for the Frittilary and the Monarch, are new to me. Love the haiku too!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ooh, pretty! Sorry, my head is full of Latin names for plants and there's no more room to memorize butterfly names. I know the blue-edged one, for example, but always forget its name. (The Brady Bunch theme song is safe, though. It will never leave my brain and it's taking up valuable space!!!!)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Really enjoyed seeing your butterflies. We have nothing left here, not even mosquitoes;)
    Marnie

    ReplyDelete
  10. Tina, I give you a A+ on your haiku! Such beautiful butterflies are bound to make anyone feel like a poet. I've seen the blue one before, but I can't remember its name now. I'm amazed at all the different species; we had so few butterflies this summer, that spotting a sulphur or the rare Monarch was a cause for celebration.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Tina,
    I love your butterfly photos and haiku. I am impressed, because I was looking to see who the author of the poem was, as people more often post others' work than their own poetry, and was tickled when I saw you had written it.

    I hope someone knows what kind of butterfly the blue one is.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Tina,
    What pretty butterfly photos. But your front garden is even prettier... wow! I would have guessed the first photo is a Gulf Fritillary~~since you asked~~and on the verbena I love so much! I'm the last person in the world to judge poetry so your attempt is to be congratulated. The touch of air from a butterfly could bring out all kinds of creativity you didn't know you had.
    Have a great day!
    Meems

    ReplyDelete
  13. Janet. Thanks. Inspired I was indeed. This year has been super great.

    Kanak, Glad you like the butterflies. Yes, I think the gardens were at peak. I can see brown eyed Susans and mums blooming (the yellows). The reds and blooms go all season but this is pretty close to peak indeed. A lovely time with lots of butterflies.

    Monica, Now I'll be trying to remember the Brady Bunch song all day. lol I wish I could remember butterfly names but I agree, plant names are enough.

    Marnie, Glad you like them. I've been missing you and am glad you came by this morning. I thought you'd like the butterflies. This post is for you and Skeeter.

    Rose, Why thank you! I am honored. Have I told you how bad I was in English when it came to poetry? I can read the literature all day long and love it but never could understand poetry, though I do find I like some poets as I've seen their poems on blogs. Expanding my horizons is a good thing at my age and I can always use an A+:)

    Sue, So glad you like it. Yup, I claim it. The moment in time when that butterfly flew into my face is forever branded in my mind. Speaking of which, I'm headed to my favorite nature stop in about-oh-five minutes.

    Meems, Well good morning! Most kind of you to notice the yard. I aspire to your gorgeous gardens some day and so I steady work on them. You give me a very high honor recognizing them this morning. You all who notice them sure make my day. The butterflies are an additional treat that comes with the gardens-something I've never really planned for but it just seems to happen.

    Time for biking 9 miles this morning. I'll try to stop back later. Everyone have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Tina- what amazing photos you have captured! I love the haiku, and yes.... you should always share. Nice to have something to ponder in the colder months.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Tina,
    Very splendid photographs! So crisp, I am sure someone who knows their butterflies will id it soon!I also enjoyed your poetry. Thanks
    Rosey

    ReplyDelete
  16. I can't believe how many different butterflies you get, and how many you capture close up on camera. They're quite kind to be such good models.

    ReplyDelete
  17. A poet I am not so loved your poem! I am guessing the mystery butterfly to also be the Red-Spotted Purple which has crossed with a White Admiral thus the lack of red spots on the outer wing. They mimic the Pipevine Swallowtail which are toxic to birds....

    Go back and look at my "Flying Flowers" post and see the under side of the Gulf Fritillary. They are awesome butterflies and my favorite in color....

    Have a Great Bike Ride and get that behind conditioned. hee hee…

    Monica, you cracked me up with your comment on the Brady Bunch Song! ROFLOL...

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a pretty variety of butterflies you get there, we don't see that many different ones in our yard.
    I love you haiku and I like how you were inspired.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Very stunning shots, all of them. I made lots of ohh's and ahh's when looking at this post. I have looked at every page (2 times) in my book of Butterflies that Skeeter sent me (all 250 pages) and cannot find one like the black one you have shown us. The only one that is close to it is the Black Swallowtail (Papilio Polyxenes). Skeeter is pretty good with the flying flowers so she may know.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Tina,

    Oh Wow! I just love butterflies and your photos are incredible. I have trouble capturing them in pictures.

    I love the beauty of the blue/black one.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Incredible shots, Tina! Have you ever used whatisthatbug.com? a great site for helping identify any kind of bug - especially if you have a photo to show them.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Wow, those are so beautiful. What a nice addition to your garden.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Sorry, the correct site is
    www.whatsthatbug.com.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Heather, Thank you indeed and stay warm up there!

    Rosey, Glad you enjoyed the butterflies. Sometimes my six year old camera can take good photos or I just get lucky. Actually I think I just get lucky:)

    Megan, These butterflies are happy campers indeed to let me photograph them, but there are many more I cannot capture. Picture me running around the yard with a camera chasing Giant Swallowtails, or flitting from flower to flower hoping to catch the sulphurs. Some are most camera shy but I try. Good thing I'm semi private here so no laughs when I'm chasing butterflies.

    Skeeter, So glad you helped out with the id on that purple/black butterfly. Do you know there were like five of them resting on my porch? Very weird. And yup, worked that butt and legs and everything else! Then had to go to the commissary. An ordeal since it is the day after payday. Of course I run into friends and chit chat. Tired yet? I am so it's almost time for a nap:)

    Catherine, Life is so good and I so appreciate the little things like butterflies flying up in my face. I am most happy to share it and know all you gardeners can appreciate the thoughts.

    Mom, So glad you liked my butterflies. They are wonderful in the garden. A side effect I never ever expected nor did I plan for. They are still going strong out there but later today we'll be getting some rain. We need it.

    Noelle, Glad you like the flying flowers here in my garden. Some are good posers, others not so good. I get lucky whenever I catch one.

    Thanks Barbee. Glad you like them.

    Jen, Oh yes, I've visited that site many times but never sent them a photo. Perhaps I will once I research more. Glad you like the shots.

    VW, The butterflies really do bring the garden alive. They are most welcomed for sure.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Beautiful shots Tina! You must see lots of these visitors as they travel south.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Lovely butterflies. I especially like the first picture with the garden in the background. That's a beautiful shot.

    ReplyDelete
  27. beautiful pics of butterflies. love the first shot with garden in background. poem is nice.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Dan, Thanks and yes we do.

    Marilyn, Thank you on the help with the ID.

    Sweetbay, Thanks!

    Lola, Thanks so much!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Great job on the haiku Tina. "Wisp" is a perfect word to use regarding butterflies. I am amazed by your collection of photos. I think I've only ever seen Monarchs, Painted Ladies & Swallowtails here and hardly ANY this year. I guess they were all clustered in Tennessee! Thanks for sharing them.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hey Tina,

    Your blog is one blessed one!!!! The moment we are here at least when I am, that very moment gives me a feel of the freshness in a garden... The flowers, the grass, plants, insects, colorful butterflies, etc., etc., etc., Makes me feel I'm connected to nature...

    Ash....
    (http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)

    ReplyDelete
  31. Kathleen, Thank you. Wisp is a good word for sure. And yes, we do have a lot of butterflies here-perhaps they've heard of good weather and long summers?

    Ashkuku, You are most kind. Nature is a wonderful thing that traverses all boundaries and I am so happy I can share a bit of mine with you.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Yes! I DID enjoy your butterfly photos, Tina...and not only that, your Haiku, as well;-) I used to love writing poetry but seem to have lost my spark for it these days. Every now and then I get inspired. Haiku's are supposed to rhyme, so no problem there! I think the main idea is to convey some interaction within nature...and you've certainly done that with this Haiku!

    ReplyDelete

ALL SPAM WILL BE PROMPTLY FRIED. PLEASE DO NOT LIFT PHOTOS OR WORDS. THANKS!