dragonfly, Buckeye, and new cats, oh my!

A few days ago I posted about the black swallowtail egg I found on my dill.  It hatched today and it's even more tiny then I thought possible! I watched as it ate it's egg. It's too small to get a clear photo, though I could still make out the white saddle.  Now the really amazing thing is...I found several more of the same size on the plant. I can't believe I had no idea I was getting all these when I kept looking for eggs. The more I looked at the plant, the more minuscule cats  I found!  Good stuff.  Except I'm not so sure there is enough dill for them. It's been dying off too.  So I may make a trip to a local nursery and see if they have a plant.  I hesitate to transplant them to a different host, like the fennel or the rue. 

Yesterday while taking photos for the fire company at York County Fire school, I managed two butterfly photos.  A red admiral and an Eastern Tailed Blue butterfly.  They were attracted to the water on macadam.

I can't get over how beautiful some of the yellow tigers are right now.  They've been even friendlier then usual.  I was watching them by the butterfly bush and one female kept flying right up in my face. I put my hand out, palm up, next to a flower head and she landed, then stepped onto the flower.  Didn't even tickle she was so light weight.

One of my favorite birds that visit.  The Carolina wren.  Often times there's a pair traveling together.  The enjoy the peanuts I put out and I think they have caught on to the fact that I will open the peanuts for them to make it easier for them to carry off, rather then them sitting there beating a hole in it to either carry away to get some piece of nut out. :D Especially in cold weather they will let me know they are out there and waiting for food.

Somehow the best photos i get of the goldfinch are often the less colorful females.

One of the black swallowtail cats getting bigger!  When I first discovered these guys, they didn't move at all. So I could touch them on the rear, and they'd react by showing me their orange "forked gland", and it looks like a snakes tongue. Actually to me it looks like they pucker up for a big very orange kiss. But when this happens it's supposed to emit a foul smell to repel predators. 

This is some sort of moth cat on my bee balm.  I looked it up while it was green with stripes, now I can't remember what kind I thought it was :)  Now that it's turned brown I'm not sure anyhow.  When I get a chance I'll have to look it up again.

This is my great find of the day!  I was on the phone with my sister as she was telling me that once again she saw a buckeye in her yard.  and as usual I called her a not nice name that starts with the letter 'b'. Lovingly of course.  I'm still on the phone with her, walking outside and look what lands on the burning bush!!!  That's the second time it's happened...envying someones yard find and then it appears in mine.  I LIKE that. Thankfully I have the camera to prove I really was seeing a buckeye.  Isn't it amazing how it looks like a snake when looking down on it to scare away potential prey?  Mother nature is impressive.

But there are always exceptions.  Here's one of them. 

Dragonflies aren't normally attracted to flowers...unless it is for insects.  He looked dead to me.  No movement. I took lots of photos. He looked like he was hugging the flower, but hanging straight down.But after about 10 minutes a Tiger Swallowtail decided he wanted the same flower, startled the dragonfly (and ME!) and it flew deeper into the plant.  While he's pretty cool looking..in that ugly sort of way...they will eat butterflies. They'll eat any insect they can catch.

Check out this face full size.  It reminds me of a monkey face!

While talking to Sister I happen to look over by the tree and saw this partial egg shell that hadn't been there earlier. I've no idea what it is. it's bigger then a robins egg. All white, no markings, not glossy. But without seeing a nest identification is almost impossible I think1

I wonder what I'm forgetting.  I know I'll remember...later...at work or something :)