Does anyone know the name of this butterfly? Here it is pausing for a moment on the purple silk of Spring Treat sweet corn.
Has anyone else noticed that chicken droppings attract butterflies?
Monday, August 1, 2011
Butterflies
One of the surprising benefits of having chickens is that butterflies are attracted to the droppings...as strange as that sounds. They seem to like chicken poop as much as they like flowers. This blue and black butterfly is one of our most abundant butterflies this year and I can always find a few hanging around the chicken coop. It is called a red spotted purple. (The red spots are on the underside of the wings.)
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Those are both beautiful creatures! I've noticed that butterflies are very attracted to wild animal scat too. I try not to hold that habit against them!
ReplyDeleteMontucky, that is interesting. Funny, I never noticed that before.
ReplyDeleteHi Kateri, You and I are thinking alike today - guess what my own blog post is about? Yep! Coincidental but that does happen. I really enjoy reading your super blog! Have an outstanding day!
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ReplyDeleteYes. No chickens here, but turkeys all the time. and I have noticed the same thing in the wild.
ReplyDeleteI have only seen one red spotted purple here.
That second one is a buckeye. Not many here, but I have seen a few.
Thanks, Sandy! I figured you would know the name of the second butterfly. I don't remember seeing any red spotted purples before this year. As far as I know this is the first buckeye I have seen. Though, this is the first summer I've been really trying to pay attention to the different kinds of butterflies so that I can learn their names.
ReplyDeleteWildlife watcher--thanks. I'm off to see your butterfly photos!
I love those beautiful butterfly photos. I am so sorry, when I cannot name the name of the butterfly You asked.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I'll be off and will return after three weeks on Friday with a new post. My wife started her holiday and next Monday we are going to the North far beyond the Arctic Circle by our car. The trip is planned to last from 10 to 12 days.
Happy week-end!
nice shots! yes, that second one is the Buckeye! they're beautiful ones to dee flying around the yard!!
ReplyDeletewell...they're ALL beautiful!
I first noticed that butterflies were attracted to bird droppings while in Costa Rica a couple of years ago... there were at least 3 (maybe 4) different butterflies busily going after the bird droppings on rocks near a river where I was walking... they were quite happy to stay put while I photographed them for awhile. But my camera in those days didn't do them justice!
ReplyDeleteYour images are lovely!