Weeds and wildflowers, and other visitors

[rsc]

Our front yard in Gloucester, as those who have visited us know, is really more meadow than lawn, as we mow it infrequently and allow (and in some cases even encourage) some wild plants to flourish there. One which has been spreading in recent years is something that I was eventually able to identify as brown knapweed, and I've been feeling lately that we're perhaps allowing it to spread a little too much, although it does have attractive purple flowers. But earlier this week I discovered that

... it can attract visitors:



Tiger swallowtails are not uncommon around here, but I'm used to seeing them in late June and early July, when they seem to be attracted by our abundant day lilies. But here was this one, apparently intent on sucking every last drop of nectar from the knapweed.



I saw it again the next day -- or perhaps that was a different individual; I'm pretty sure I saw more than one, because the first one I saw (when I didn't have the camera) had a short or missing tail on its right wing, whereas this one seems to be similarly damaged (if it is damage) on the left wing. Anyway, the later one ignored the knapweed, visiting the orange cosmos (where I was unable to get a shot of it) and the "purple dahlia" zinnias:



where I was eventually able to get a shot of its underside:



None of this is particularly exotic, but it reminds me of why I like living in the country.

Comments

[ilexv.livejournal.com]

That is lovely. I don't get very many interesting butterflies but this is still pre-Buddleia.

[besskeloid.livejournal.com]

Those pics are almost hallucinatorily pretty.

[rsc.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It's jwg's camera, and I was s ort of figuring it out as I went along. (Never mind fioguring out how to get the pictures sized properly, and placed somewhere that LJ could find them.)

By the way, if anyone is interested, a few more of these (along with the ones posted or referenced above) are here (http://www.panix.com/~coren/pics/tigers-aug04/).

And while I've got your attention, how come I'm not seeing any LJ posts from you? Are you just lurking?

[besskeloid.livejournal.com]

how come I'm not seeing any LJ posts from you? Are you just lurking?

I've been posting a few times a week. Seems odd that you've not seen anything by me, especially as we're mutually friended.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[rsc.livejournal.com]

This is weird. I'm still not seeing your soc.motss postings (except in quotation) but that's because of something being blocked by Panix. My LJ has nothing to do with panix. I suppose your ISP could be on Adelphia's blacklist too.

[rsc.livejournal.com]

Well, if I go to your LJ directly, everything's there; but you're not showing up on my Friends page. I have no idea why.

[xlerb.livejournal.com]

Backdating?

[rsc.livejournal.com]

Could you be a little more specific, please?

[xlerb.livejournal.com]

From the FAQ: What is the "Backdate Entry" option? How do I use it?

[rsc.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see. So, Gary, are you doing this, and if so, why?

[besskeloid.livejournal.com]

No backdating going on here, Sir. Nope.