A Few Visitors, One Is A Friend

A little after the middle of July, a Monarch and a Swallowtail butterflies visited the garden. I shared photographs from those visits. In the meantime, we also saw hummingbirds hovering around the flowers, mainly the Crocosmias and the Monardas. But the visitors did not return for a while.

Will Butterfly Visitors Return

Around the same time, maybe after the second butterfly-related article, our friend Deb called, and we chatted for a while. She is an avid nature photographer. Toward the end of our chat, we decided that she would visit us soon, and we would explore the garden together. A few days passed, and Deb was arriving that afternoon. But there was no sign of any butterflies or hummingbirds.

A Friend Visits

We had not seen Deb for a long time except for a quick stop in September 2022, and it was good to catch up. After chewing the fat, we decided to move to the garden. I was surprised to see the Swallowtail butterfly a little earlier and hoped it would return.

Did the butterfly return? Yes! We enjoyed watching it flutter its wings around the Monardas with occasional stops on the purple cone flowers. As we photographed it, a second butterfly appeared as if on a date! The first was a male, and the second happened to be a female Swallowtail judging by the colorful spots on its wings.

Hummingbird Visitors Join The Crowd

The afternoon was getting interesting. Deb had a longer zoom lens and could reach the insects more closely. Also, as a seasoned nature photographer who has photographed many critters in flight, she was clicking away. Just as the butterfly couple continued to show off, we saw a hummingbird arrive and hover to look around. Inexperienced as I am in following a fast flier like a hummingbird, I tried to point and hope!

The garden and its critters were determined to impress Deb! A second hummingbird entered the scene. For a moment, they seemed to be confronting each other. Their flights continued as we all tried to catch them somewhere, anywhere! I have several “record shots” that they were here and one reasonably sharp one. Note “reasonably!” Jan managed to get a few, and I am sure Deb got even more.

Time to Visit The Front Yard

After following the fliers around the flowers in the backyard, we moved to the front yard. The tall Liatris stalks had been impressing the passersby and the neighbors. They were in good form again. Their stems crossing each other created a look of a crowded room. I imagined them chatting, “How are things,” “Fancy meeting you here,” “Hey, don’t push” and the like. We continued photographing the front yard and eventually returned indoors.

And, Let’s Enjoy a Pizza and Some Wine

It was time to order a pizza! Our favorite, Little John’s Pizza, was closed on Sundays. So, we ordered the pizza from another good eatery, Rigatoni’s. At the table, we opened the bottle of blueberry wine Deb brought from a local winery, Diamond Hill Vineyards. It was tasty, slightly on the sweet side. Deb and I enjoyed short glasses, but Jan skipped the wine due to a medical visit the following day. Just in case!

Click on the images to see them larger, uncropped, and read their titles.

Jan’s Collection

Cemal’s Collection