Pearl Crescent butterfly

This is a small butterfly that seems to like gold and
yellow flowers, especially the butterfly weed.

Great Spangled Fritillary

Buckeye Moth

Buckeye Moth ... so beautiful.

Tomato Hornworm Moth

I discovered 5 of these moths in a friends garden just after dusk.  I was sure glad I had my camera.  After searching on the internet, I found out they are Tomato Hornworm Moths.  When I cropped and enlarged the photos, I was amazed at the long tongue they have that enables them to get the nectar from the flowers.
Click on the photo for a larger size so you can see the tongue. The last one is the best.

Bellflower

Beebalm

Angel's Trumpet

Blackberry Lily

Mitzi

Mitzi loves to sit on the arbor and check out the activities in the yard.

Her treat is a nibble of the purple fountain grass. Checking her balance on the deck rail.

Ah, such a beautiful day to wallow in the lush grass.

Okay, here's your best shot. Now put away that camera

and lets play.

Bluebirds

In April both the chickadees and the bluebirds wanted to build in this birdhouse. The chickadees nested first. After they left the nest, the bluebirds moved into the house in June. I was not able to clean out the house first but they didn't seem to mind. They are now busy feeding the babies.

Hummingbird Clearwing Moth

Hummingbird moth on beebalm.

Black Swallowtail Caterpillar

I was so excited to find 6 stage 4 swallowtail caterpillars on the fennel. I planted it last year hoping to attract the caterpillars but didn't get any until this year. They were on the fennel for 5 days after I discovered them but are gone now. I wonder it the birds got them or if they have moved to the next phase of becoming a butterfly. I wish I could find them to watch the next phase.

Luna Moth

I discovered the beautiful Luna Moth when I was watering some flowers. It was alive but would not fly. The next day I looked in the same place and only saw pieces of it left. I wonder what happened?