Chasing butterflies....

On Thursdays, I like to go to Hartman Arboretum to chase butterflies.  I can always count on a nice variety.  Sometimes I do more chasing then getting good photos, but I enjoy it anyway.

This Tiger Swallowtail loves the Button Bush, as do the bee and the other bug that you see with it.

High against the sky.

I like to include a lot of the different flowers as well as the butterflies.

Interesting close-up of it's body.

The blue indicates that it is a female Tiger Swallowtail.

It has so many flowers to choose from, that I get a lot of exercise walking around in circles trying to get close to it.

It really loves these....Bee Balm? 

One of the times when I was on the wrong side of the plant :-)  We play peek-a-boo.

I can usually find a Hummingbird Moth or two and they are even harder to catch up with!

Not a great shot, but I like the purple flowers.

Such an interesting critter!

There are lots of the Silver Spotted Skippers.  We call them the "white elephant" skippers since the mark on the side looks like an elephant.

A pair of them.

I took this mostly for the flower.  I love its pink and white color.  Will have to find out what it is next week.

The zinnias make a nice backdrop for any butterfly.

A Skipper.....don't know which one.

A dark skipper.....maybe a Wild Indigo Duskywing?

Same skipper....different angle.

The garden is full of bees, also.

And occasionally I see an interesting bird on the tops of the little trees.....a Kingbird.

Mouth wide open calling.

One really wild patch of yellow flowers and milkweed always has a lot of butterflies around it.

a Clouded Sulphur

Clouded Sulphur

A Buckeye on the gravel pathway.

A large bee on the zinnias.....wish that bud wasn't there on the right!

I love going here and thank Mr. Hartman for making this place open to the public on Thursdays!