My Friends in the Garden

I have been noticing more activity in my flower garden this fall than any time before. Lots of winged friends showing up along with a few other interesting creatures.

 

This is my favorite kind of butterfly out of those visible in our area, the yellow swallowtail. It is easy to get pictures of - doesn't seem as "flighty" as other types.

 

This one was enjoying my bay tree.  I think it was sunning and not eating the bay leaves.

 

A split second caught it in flight with the upper wings straight up.

 

 

Do you see the frog?  I moved a pot and there he was.

 

 

He didn't sit still long so I was lucky to get this picture.

 

 

I think the oleander moth is so unusual in color, with white polka dots on black, brilliant blue and then a bright red at the end. Very pretty.  The caterpillar stage of this is very destructive to oleander bushes, hence the name, oleander moth.

 

 

These Mexican sunflowers (tithonia) attracts several types of insects - a lot of them!  Bees, like this one, and then........

 

 

.........the bee and a moth.  Nearly every bloom had something on it.

 

These chameleons are so plentiful in my yard that I pay very little attention to them. I find them difficult to photograph. They are afraid of people and usually move. They will almost never get on a person. Only one time out of all the years they have been my friends in the garden did one hop on me and he got off faster than he got on. This one is striking a funny pose with his tail straight up!

 

 

This White peacock butterfly is not as plentiful here as several other kinds so I always pay attention when I spot one.  It is sitting on a white periwinkle which puts a perfect white edge around its wings!

 

While I was photographing this one a zebra Longwing flew by.  He didn't stop so I couldn't get a picture. I never have photographed one but see them occasionally

 

 

 

Do you see the yellow sulphur butterfly - upper right.  Three of these were flying together but I only got a picture of this one. This kind really flutters, almost continously, and is another one I can almost never capture. It stopped here just for a few seconds to enjoy the pineapple sage.

 

 

 

This might be a long-tailed skipper but those usually have a grayish blue on their body. One day almost every blossom (a lot) on this plant had at least one of these on it.

 

 

One on an aster blossom.  This plant has several buds on it but so far they have opened only one at a time.

 

 

I have a lot of daisy plants here and they had no blooms this summer and then last week I spotted this one bloom! Conveniently, it had a friend on it. While taking these pictures I saw birds and squirrels also. Always neat things to notice in the garden!