Butterfly Bushes Attract Hummers & More

copyright©MarjieGemmell

BUTTERFLY BUSHES ATTRACT HUMMERS & MORE!

The past few weeks I’ve found myself spending a lot of time with a field guide – and it’s NOT my trusty bird book. Usually bird identification takes up my free time, but now bird watching is sharing the spotlight with butterfly identification!

Last year, while visiting a friend, I was astounded by the number and variety of butterflies on a large butterfly bush planted a few feet from her patio. When planting season rolled around this spring, I purchased two butterfly bushes (Buddleia davidii) for my backyard. I chose a “Black Knight” variety, and a “Nanho Blue”.

Both bushes thrived through spring and early summer and once the sweet-scented, purple and blue flower spikes began to appear, the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds found them. Between visits to the sugar water feeders, they lazily roamed from spike to spike, wings whirring as they sampled one spike after another.

Now it is mid-September and the female hummingbirds are still enjoying the butterfly bushes, but they are far out-numbered by literally dozens of butterflies!

I’ve long been acquainted with Monarch Butterflies, having led many groups of children and adults on Monarch tagging forays. In my area Monarchs are everywhere, especially in the fall, so I was not surprised to find many Monarch’s feeding on the bushes. – sometimes half a dozen or more at one time.

To my great delight other vibrant, multi-colored butterflies began to visit and feed on the bushes. I was familiar with a lot of the varieties, but usually only catch a quick glimpse and have seconds to identify the species as they float by, or rest for a moment on a flower. Having them come to feed on my bushes gives me long moments to check out their patterns, spots and colors. What a thrill to observe the flashy swallowtails -- Zebra Spicebush, Eastern Tiger, and Pipevine Swallowtails -- up close and personal! Not so flashy, but equally cool to watch are American Painted Ladies, Red Admirals, Red-spotted Purples, plus various Fritillary and Sulphur species.

All told, I’m having a ball watching the hummers and the butterflies. They arrive in early morning and are active most of the day until near dusk, keeping my deck area alive with color and movement. I sure am glad I added those butterfly bushes to my landscape!

Cheeps & Chirps!
Marjie Gemmell

To learn more about bird identification go to:
www.easybirdidentification.com

Posted by Marjie Gemmell