Phlutters – Butterfly Feeding/First Swallowtail Part I

On By TimelessladyIn Phlutters

I watered a patch of newly planted grass yesterday, and was delighted when I saw the first yellow swallowtail butterfly of 2017 ‘puddling‘ in the dampness.

He fluttered around the yard searching out more patches of damp earth for sipping, making use of the nutrients, salts and amino acids the earth contains. I was surprised upon searching the Internet to find products to purchase for ‘puddling’ butterflies. These butterfly feeders are easy to make yourself. Today, I’ll gather up some materials and post my creations tomorrow.

15 thoughts on “Phlutters – Butterfly Feeding/First Swallowtail Part I”

      1. Yes, it is. You are so blessed and take such wonderful care of our creatures. Sadly, I am thinking our Red-Tailed hawk, Big Red, won’t be laying her eggs this season. She’s been hanging around a juvenile hawk. It is my understanding he is not sexually mature… so the loss of her wonderful mate, Ezra, has been difficult in a number of ways.

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        1. I looked in on some of the cams yesterday. I loved seeing the owlets. If I’m not mistaken the Red-Tailed hawk cam was still up, but the nest appeared empty. We have wetlands near us. My husband and I have seen a pair of hawks in the area many times. We are hoping they have a nest somewhere within the swampy area where they would have protection.

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          1. BR has been flying around the area. Our birders-on-the-ground (Karel and Cindy) have cut way back on their daily live streams, suspect it became cost prohibitive, so we don’t see much of her. But they have been livestreaming for brief periods on the “Cliff Hawks” (jutting rock wall in canyon a short distance from Cornell), no webcam there. They are Red-Tails and have 2 adorable white fuzz balls in their nest, hatched a few days ago. Your swampy area sounds like a perfect location for your hawks. Probably an abundance of prey who hang around the periphery.

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    1. I love butterfly bushes…I’ve seen many butterflies on them. They will find food everywhere…I just enjoy creating new garden art/junk more like it. But it keeps me keeping on…something to wake up to do every day. It makes me smile! have a good night Anne. Kathy

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  3. Kathy,
    I saw this post today and am so interested in this. You know I live in the desert and I have never seen a butterfly for 13 years. This year, while in extreme sorrow, I prayed for a sign and believe it or not I prayed to see a butterfly. This was while I was in my bathtub. Believe it or not, I dressed and got out my car to go to work and a flying something came my way- was it a butterfly ? I didn’t know. I prayed again- Lord, I don’t know if that is a butterfly but I am going to believe it was, when the beauty came again to my windshield and said hello. It was a butterfly!!!
    Did a lot of butterflies come to taste the salt that year, Kathy? Can you share some butterfly pictures?
    Susie

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    1. Timelesslady

      Hi Susie, I love your sign of the butterfly. What a wonderful uplift it must have been to you. I will soon have butterflies visiting the gardens on a regular basis. I have seen a few in the woods and just yesterday saw the first flutter of a white cabbage butterfly. I also saw the first big velvety bumblebees. It is SPRING! I will try and share a lot of butterfly photographs this year. They are a sign of joy to me. Thanks for your friendship and lovely comment Susie. Kathy

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Thanks so much for your comments. They fill my life with sunshine.

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