Swallowtail

After a period of disappointment because there didn’t seem to be any Swallowtails visiting this year, today there were several visiting our flower garden and this one patiently posed for a few photos. They hadn’t disappeared, they were just later than usual. Usually my photos result from a trip I have made: it was nice today to have a subject come to me (and thanks to my wife for spotting it and letting me know we had a pretty little visitor).

Western Tiger Swallowtail ~ Papilio rutulus

Lots of patience:

on his part, not mine.

Western Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio rutulus

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A few more blues.

Just had to squeeze in one more Penstemon!

Small-flowered Penstemon
Penstemon procerus
Figwort family

This photo is a week or so old, but these are blooming everywhere around here now.

Arctic Lupine
Lupinus arcticus
Pea family

And while on the subject of the pea family,

American Vetch
Vicia Americana
Pea family

(This Hyacinth heard that “blue” was being featured and crept in through the tall grass.)

The “not a clue what this little blue flower is” flower. Some kind of monkey flower perhaps? Update: I think this may be Ground Ivy, Glechoma Hederacea, in the Mint family.

The flagship of the Harebell family,

Harebell, Bluebell of Scotland
Campanula rotundifolia

And last but not least, resplendent with its own blue markings,

Western Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio rutulus

(I didn’t say they were all flowers!)