Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough. – Rabindranath Tagore

If you smile when you see a butterfly, you have happiness in your soul. – Diana Cooper

I haven’t been spending much time outdoors with my camera lately. Frequent rain showers, overcast skies, and high humidity have all been prohibitive. Such is summertime in the south.

That said, yesterday afternoon was quite pleasant. The sun came out for awhile, and I spent time in the garden. I am doing my first lemon balm harvest today. I’ll dry the leaves and mix them with loose leaf peppermint, which is my favorite bedtime tea. I also spent a bit of time photographing the birds; although, none of those photographs are particularly noteworthy.

About five or so minutes after I came back indoors, however, I looked out the window and discovered three Eastern Tiger Swallowtails on my butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii). I’ve been seeing these butterflies more frequently over the past several weeks, but usually only one at a time. Three was a treat; so, I grabbed my camera and went back outside.

I sat and photographed the butterflies for awhile, until I started hearing lots of excited, repetitive chirps behind me. I feared my close proximity to one of the hummingbird feeders may have been causing consternation in a certain individual.

That, coupled with the sound of thunder in the distance, brought an end to my brief but enchanting visit with the swallowtails. I hope you enjoy these photographs, as well as the video.