It's not really new anymore. But I still love so much about it. I love the fact that the kids have real, lush grass to play in. I love that we have trees for shade and I love how our landscaping has all come together. Spending time outside is so enjoyable.
As if the trees and flowers weren't enough of a treat, we have been able to watch so many different kinds of birds. We have a family of morning doves that nest in our trees. Our bird feeders bring robins, blue jays and other small swallows. But our very favorite... all of the butterflies in the spring and summer!
I was headed into the cat house the other day to fetch the mower and was pleasantly shocked to discover this beauty!
Clinging to the tire of the riding lawn mower, this swallowtail was still unable to fly. Trapped inside the shed, I was really glad we found him! A perfect "guys come look" moment, I ran to get the kids.
Very carefully we had him climb on to a paint stick so we could find him a tree outside.
He was HUGE! At least 5 inches across.
We slowly carried him outside and placed him gingerly in a tree. I grabbed my phone and had to find out exactly what kind of butterfly it was.
Our new friend is a Two-tailed Swallowtail.
The Two-tailed Swallowtail is a large swallowtail of western North America, one of several species that have yellow wings with black tiger striping. Each hindwing has several blue markings (top and bottom). Like other striped swallowtails, it has a small orange eyespot near the lower angle of each hindwing; the eyespots can fool predators into attacking the rear of the butterfly instead of the head, giving the butterfly a chance to escape. Amazing!
Hey Rah-Rah, did you know the Two-tailed Swallowtail is the state butterfly of Arizona?
Our new friend stayed on the same tree about thirty minutes before testing his wings. Once he could fly, he spent the rest of the afternoon fluttering around our yard. We saw him again the next day too. Joined by an equally beautiful companion!
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