Flower Hill Farm BUTTERFLIES OF 2011 ~ Favorite Crescents

Now for some more of the lovely Brushfooted Butterflies of the Nymphalidae family.  

The wing patterns of the Pearl Crescent Phyciodes tharos, vary significantly as you will see in the three featured here. This butterfly was from a late May 2011 brood and is feasting on what I believe to be a Robin's Plantain Erigeron pulchellus. 

It is hard to believe that the third instar caterpillars of the last broods from September are wintering over out in the fields and gardens somewhere near their host native aster plants. I hope they are safe from the many juncos, goldfinches and robins who are constantly combing the snowless areas of ground. Though since the female butterfly deposits up to 700 eggs in groupings of 20 -300 on aster leaves, there may well be an abundance of surviving dormant caterpillars to spare a few tasty bites for the birds. Birds must survive the winter somehow too.

Male Pearl Crescent ~ Note Flat Tip of Abdomen

Another Late May Pearl Crescent Minus One Antenna

Another late May male, I am guessing,  but the outlines on all the wings are so much darker.  It might just be that I took this photo in a less sunny spot.  

These butterflies will nectar on most any flower. Above is a female enjoying marjoram flowers. Bright mid July sun washes out the more vivid colors of this  Pearl Crescent .

Female Pearl Crescent ~ Note Pointed Tip of Abdomen 

This female Pearl Crescent was captured feeding on a Rudbeckia in August of 2011. 

I find these butterflies even more difficult to identify than the varied Fritillaries. Sometimes just seeing the negative space can help us see forms. Each of these three different Pearl Crescents is on a different flower and I have them placed so as to show the varying patterns on the wings. By draining the color away in the top photos we can more easily see the patterns.

It is easiest to identify the Pearl Crescent by seeing her underwings. Note the pearly white crescent on the butterfly below. 

Flower Hill Farm 2010 ~ Note ~ Pearly Crescent on Underwing

In 2010 the middle garden/meadow was filled with hundreds of these tiny 1 - 1 1/2 inch wing span Pearl Crescents. It was magical walking amongst the multitude of sunlit wings flitting about the large stand of gooseneck.

Pearl Crescent 2009 in the spring garden

I found this image from the gardens of 2009. The variety of the wing patterns is so confusing but beautiful. I cannot believe anyone could call this small butterfly dull. 

We are still living out the mild winter of 2012 and though there are no beautiful butterflies flying about, there are plenty of birds that gather each morning atop Michael's Black Cherry to await the rising sun. The colors of the goldfinches are beginning to turn yellow again. 

One solitary bluebird seems to hangout with nearly fifty finches. I hope they help keep him warm at night.

The golden sun is climbing farther to the north each day along Walnut Hill. March is nearly here and spring will not be far for this corner of New England. 

It is time to visit Gail for Wildflower Wednesday! 

Katarina is offering the word Color this week. 

Muted Autumn Colors in Wings Reminiscence

We are having unusual fall foliage colors this year . . .  due to in part . . . I am guessing . . .  to our drought of the summer and then . . .  the hard late September rains that came . . . and in one fell swoop . . . took the early bright leaves down to the ground. The now muted colors remind me of a glorious summer day walking into the garden and finding I was entering into a butterfly whirl!

Hundreds and hundreds of Pearly Crescentspots were feeding and flitting about the Lysimachia clethroides or more commonly known as 'Gooseneck loosestrife'. I have transplanted these plants around the gardens, and all along my walk there were more of these tiny (they are only about an inch to inch and a half wide) butterflies. Oddly being in the midsts of so many butterflies reminded me of visits to butterfly houses. Only this was more thrilling . . . as it was my own garden that so many little creatures were voluntarily living. I am thankful for the swaths of wild native asters in the south field that offer food for the caterpillars. I am certain that so little summer rain aided in their metamorphic survival.

Above is a female sipping with closed wings. The one below brings to mind Matisse's cutouts. It might be fooling me and could be a different kind of Crescentspot. Could the name Pearly Crescentspot . . . be inspired by the tiny crescent pearly white moon . . . on the closed wing?

The wispy clouds of butterflies enjoyed the Gooseneck for days and I was enchanted with their presence. I will be sharing flower arrangements and more of the gardens in upcoming days, but just now I am very busy with deadlines of various kinds. Some delightful surprises I will share later on too. There is a breeze stirring the trees . . . many leaves flying about along with migrating warbles and returning juncos. The nights are chilly and longer . . . it seems there is never enough time to simply be. Soon all will be calmer . . . then I will miss the flutterings of guests and markets. Life is forever in flux . . .  I feel so blessed to be able to enjoy such a simple life filled with joyous encounters. 

August Bloom Day

The blooms most active in the north corner of my jungle are creating beauty and a feeding station.

Tree Hydrangea, Sedums, Artemisia, Hibiscus Rose of Sharon, Thalictrum Lavender Mist, Hydrangea, Hostas and Globe Thistle have been flowering for weeks.

Wild Honeybees were all over these blooms a few days ago.

Hummers delight in the lily- like Hosta Royal Standard blooms. 

I am often capturing images of hummingbirds sipping from these rich Hibiscus syriacus blooms too.

Looking through Rose of Sharon towards the rotund Hydrangeas, whose name I have forgotten... 

Late blooming Rosa rugosa seen through a Lavender Mist.

They just keep sending out buds.

Even the stems of Lavender Mist take on a purple hue. It can reach up to five or six feet tall. 

Offering a bit of camouflage to little fauns. 

Out in the middle meadow-like garden Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum) blends well with Continus (Smoke bush) and is a favorite of many kinds of bees and butterflies. 

Looking to the left we see another Hydrangea paniculata in the background. Standing by it one day it seemed I heard and saw the entire wild honeybee hive all over the panicles of blooms.

Echinops Globe thistle unfurls countless starry petals from its prickly sepals that this Pearly Crescentspot enjoys dipping it's proboscis into.

Marjoram is favored by the ghostly Cabbage White Butterfly. This photo was actually taken a week or so ago.

Impatiens Roylei blooms almost anywhere in the garden . . . here she brings us back to the north garden before a vaporous White Birch. This is an offering from New England for the Garden Bloggers Bloom Day . . . go to Carol's May Dreams Gardens to see other blooms from around the world.