Fridays at Reynolda Gardens

It was a rough week, but as soon as I got to RG Friday after work I felt instantly better!

Eastern Tailed-Blue

 Common Buckeye

 Fiery Skipper

Another Long-Tailed Skipper!

Fridays at Reynolda Gardens and Sundays at Little Walden

So many cool things to post last week I am behind schedule!

Friday:

Common Buckeye

 The lion head fountain is one of my favorite features of the Gardens.

 Ailanthus Webworm moth on Sedum, got some of this for my butterfly garden, I hope I don't kill it, I don't exactly have a green thumb.

Sunday:

 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

 Dragonfly - lucky shot, he was fast!

 Little stone building on the nature trail

I know most people call these Daddy Longlegs, but I have always called them Grandaddy Longlegs.  Probably something my Grandaddy told me when I was little. :)

Fridays at Reynolda Gardens and Tanglewood Arboretum

Yahoo!  10 glorious days off in a row!  And I had a wonderful start at RG Friday morning.

 Painted Lady - you can tell Painted Ladies from American Painted Ladies from the eyespots on the lower wing.  American Painted Ladies have 2 and Painted Ladies have 4.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Water Lily - love this one!

Then after RG, I swung by the Arboretum at Tanglewood.  I didn't stay too long though because it was a tad hot and the mosquitoes were eating me up!  Still saw some butterflies though.

I thought this was a Pearl Crescent, but after looking at my book I think it may be a Silvery Checkerspot.

Fridays at Reynolda Gardens

Went to Reynolda Gardens early again, and no butterflies.  They must be late sleepers.  Anyway, I did see something that made me happy:

Because when these pink fuzzy flowers are in bloom, that means we'll have these:

Common Buckeye - These are one of my favorites, of course I probably say that about most butterflies!  This one was taken in September of last year at RG.

I planned on going back to RG after work Friday and ended up working until 7:30.  Still went, but no butterflies.  I still enjoyed it and stayed until it started getting dark, I love it there even without butterflies!

Also on Saturday I saw something that made my heart fill - a Monarch!  It's about time for them too.  I actually saw lots of butterflies in my yard Saturday, but I was pulling weeds - so no camera. :(  Oh well, since my vacation (woo!) is coming up soon, I will have lots of opportunities for butterflying.

Fridays at Reynolda Gardens

Beautiful morning at Reynolda Gardens!

I hate to think why this spider was lurking in the phlox, but I have to admit he was so pretty!

Green Lynx Spider

Fridays at Reynolda Gardens - Take 2

I got up early Friday morning to go to Reynolda Gardens - and no butterflies!  I did get some yummy veggies from the farmer's market, tomatoes, squash, potatoes, peppers and crowder peas (which I have never had before!).  There were lots of bumble bees though.

Loving my new lens.

So, of course I had to try again after work and I was not disappointed.  Swallowtails and Skippers everywhere!

 Sharing.

 Yin and Yang.

See the little skipper shadow?

Fridays at Reynolda Gardens

Lots of pretty butterflies at Reynolda Gardens today.

Male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.  I set my white balance to fluorescent-1 on this one.  I like to use that setting because it gives photos a vintagey-purply quality.

Female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.  I used the popart filter on this one, which sort of super-saturates the hues.

Silver-Spotted Skipper

And a few moths, that you wouldn't really think were moths.

 Yellow Collared Scape Moth

Ailanthus Webworm Moth - love these!

Fridays at Reynolda Gardens

I have been playing around with the double exposure feature on my Olympus E-PL1.  It's so much fun!

Fridays at Reynolda Gardens

I noticed this one little skipper that seemed to be staring at me.  

He seemed very interested in what I was doing, so I put my finger in front of him and he climbed on!

I have never seen purple basil before, and this one had a bonus:

Gray Hairstreak

Peek-a-boo!  Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

2 Fridays at Reynolda Gardens

Last week my wireless router was misbehaving so I am posting for 2 Fridays.

 Male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

 This is one of my favorite shots.  I love his antenna!

American Painted Lady

Fridays at Reynolda Gardens

Since this Friday the forecast high was 103 (whew!), I decided to get up extra early and go to Reynolda Gardens before work.  It was totally worth it and here is why:

 Cute little skipper (possibly a Sachem).

 Is it a moth?  Is is a hummingbird?  No, it's a Clearwing Hummingbird Moth!

My first turtle sighting at Reynolda Gardens!!

Fridays at Reynolda Gardens

Well I had to work a whole 5-day week this week, it was tough after all the long week-ends I have had.  But it did end on a good note, as I went to Reynolda Gardens after work was over Friday!

 Pearl Crescent

Hey, scooch over!!

Fridays at Reynolda Gardens

Another Friday off from work. :)  I need to stop doing this or I will run out of days!  But I went to see Jimmy Buffett Thursday night and did NOT want to have to drag myself out of bed Friday morning and go to work.  That was my first Jimmy Buffett concert by the way and I had so much fun!!  So anyway, here are a few butterflies from my trip to Reynolda Gardens.  Starting to see some new species.

Gray Hairstreak

I got a new butterfly book and I believe this is a Fiery Skipper.  The book is Butterflies of the Carolinas Field Guide by Jaret C. Daniels.  I like it because it groups the butterflies by main color, very easy to use.

Fridays at Reynolda Gardens

Had to work this Friday.  Oh well. Very thankful that such a beautiful place is so near my office though!

Another Cabbage White flitting about.  Mostly all I saw were Cabbage Whites and Silver-Spotted Skippers, but no complaints here.  Any day with a butterfly is a good day!

Fridays at Reynolda Gardens AND Magic Wings!

Another Friday off from work! Woo! I am going to be so spoiled.  So yesterday before my weekly visit to Reynolda Gardens I took a trip to Durham to the Museum of Life and Science, specifically the Magic Wings Butterfly House. If you ever get the chance - go! Here is a link to their site: http://www.ncmls.org/exhibits/magic-wings-butterfly-house

 Clipper

 Shoemaker

 Tiger Longwing

 Zebra Mosaic - first time I have seen one of these

Paper Kite

And after that of course I had to go to Reynolda Gardens.

Cabbage White

A great day for butterflying!