Butterflies in the Garden (A Slideshow with Music)

Below is the companion slideshow to The Creekline article, "How High Does the Swallowtail Fly?" published in the August 2015 issue.  It will help you distinguish between the different butterfly types.  (See all our publications listed in the sidebar of the About Us page on this website.)

To start the slideshow:  make sure your speakers are on if you want to listen to the music, then click the Play link on the photo below.  You'll have the option to expand the slideshow to full screen.

The slideshow below is approximately 3 minutes long.

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Personalize your own free picture slideshow

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If it's one thing we learned from our NABA butterfly count in June, was that butterflies can be tricky to identify.  They sure don't stay still for long, and who can blame them?  So much to do:  finding nectar to nourish themselves, finding a mate, making a family, laying eggs (females only), and then dying.   One short season is all the time they have to ensure their line continues.  No time to stop and pose for the butterfly watcher to note the markings or take a clear photo.  Such a stop could make the butterfly a meal for the many predators that consider butterflies on the menu.

You can enhance your butterfly ID skills by reading the books mentioned in The Creekline article, "How High Does the Swallowtail Fly?" and by consulting the Butterflies of America and/or the Learn About Butterflies website, which covers every region of the world where butterflies are found.