My Deck ~ Pots of Flowers

 Love all the pots of flowers I have on my deck.  They bring in butterflies, hummingbirds

and other pollinators.  It's enjoyable to sit here in the mornings & evening watching everything flying in my backyard.  I often sit and plan how I'll change out some of flowers out next year in the gardens because if a flower doesn't bring in the butterflies and pollinators it must go.  i also want to bring more color in that goes all summer.

My Yard ~ Swallowtails

 3 Swallowtail species in the past 2 days - 6/26/24 Pipevine Swallowtail - new yard butterfly species #38 (top images), First of year Black Swallowtail 6/25/24, and Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. Of course, last fall I passed along to another butterfly lover, the host plant for the Pipevine Swallowtail, Dutchman's Pipevine which I had in pots since about 2019 back in NJ and brought with me here to PA.

Pipevine

Pipevine

Black

Eastern Tiger 

My Yard ~ Dun Skipper

 Dun Skipper just now in the garden. #13 for 2024 and only the second species for June. It's 1 1/2 months earlier than the last 2 years.

Wolf's Hollow County Park

A Walk around Wolf's Hollow County Park

Gray Catbird

Chipping Sparrow

Eastern-tailed Blue

Pearl Crescent

Pearl Crescent

 

 

My yard ~ American Goldfinch

 The American Goldfinches are loving my Zinnia's.

My Yard ~ American Lady

 Yesterday, in my yard there was an American Lady that eclosed. Picture of AL with the wings open shows the liquid it was expressing as it pumped up it's wings. Seen on the leaves under it.

Quilting ~ Donation Quilts

 My sister found a quilt online that she really liked. It wasn't exactly like this one but very similar. (Made from 2.5" cut squares.) I had 200+ 4 patch blocks from swaps I'd been in with some quilting friends. This top took about 100 4 patches. With what's left I can make another top like this one. Size is 51" by 66". Made this week between gardening.

Updated 7/5/24: Here's the rest of the 4 Patches I had left made into another donation quilt.

Calico Cutters ~ Barn Quilt Class

Took a Barn Quilt class today with my quilt guild. Elizabeth is an excellent teacher. She's also handy at making our blocks look fabulous. Here are the other women and their painted blocks.

Wolf's Hollow County Park ~ Baltimore Oriole

A walk at Wolf's Hollow County Park, Atglen yesterday ~~ Baltimore Oriole eating serviceberries and taking some back to the nest. It looked like babies (which I really couldn't see) were being fed. The serviceberry tree was hosting Cedar Waxwings, Gray Catbirds, American Robins, Northern Cardinals and other species.

HCV ~ Birds

Northern Mockingbird

Northern Mockingbird

Brown Thrasher

 

Nottingham County Park ~ Butterflies'

 I drove to I drove to Nottingham County Park this afternoon. It's a great place to walk but I was interested in seeing if the Great Spangled Fritillary's were around yet. I saw 5 of them today. I saw a total of 8 species of butterflies including 2 Monarch's! It's a start, though very little is blooming yet. I, actually, only stayed around the parking lot and not for long as the bugs were out & biting. this afternoon. It's a great place to walk but I was interested in seeing if the Great Spangled Fritillary's were around yet. I saw 5 of them today. I saw a total of 8 species of butterflies including 2 Monarch's! It's a start, though very little is blooming yet. I, actually, only stayed around the parking lot and not for long as the bugs were out & biting.

Great Spangled Fritillary's

Great Spangled Fritillary

Great Spangled Fritillary

Great Spangled Fritillary

Tawny-edged

Least 

Meadow Fritillary

Peck's