Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus

The butterfly weeds started to bloom today and it’s easy to see how the orange flowered plant got it’s name; it’s a butterfly magnet! Here you can see a Tiger Swallowtail feeding on the flowers as they start to open.

I went to talk by Chip Taylor last year on Monarch Watch. That is the organization he founded to help butterflies. Chip emphasized the value of all milkweeds (including butterfly weeds) to help Monarchs. It seems many butterflies thrive on milkweeds. That’s the first place I go when I’m doing butterfly photography.