Visitors

We have had a large variety of visitors to our yard and garden this year. A few of them i have managed to get a picture of. The Mexican Torch Sunflowers have attracted several butterflies this year. Here is one, I know it's some kind of Swallowtail, but I'm not sure which.



These sunflowers are only about 2 feet tall, some of them shorter. The Goldfinches love them though.

This is a Black Swallowtail caterpillar. They have eaten all the blooms on my parsley, which doesn't bother me because I don't eat the parsley blooms. They will also eat dill and cilantro. I have a few small dill plants that I am hoping they stay away from because I would like to try some pickles again this year. I have a friend that cant' keep wild dill out of her yard, I can't even get it to grow when I plant it. And when it does, it gets eaten. I know I could use something to keep them off, but secretly, I'd like to see one make a chrysalis.

I think this one is a katydid.

Dragonfly

I have also seen a small snake, that quickly found a hole to dive into. I'm glad it was little and fast. More butterflies, a turkey vulture (in the field behind us), and a hummingbird. I hoping the hummingbird will come back, he was too quick.