After a few days of unseasonably warm temperatures (we hit 50 degrees!), we’re back to snow on the ground in our little valley. This is the time of year when Mother Nature becomes a real tease. There’s a glimmer of hope and warmth, followed by a “Heh, just kidding.” I usually don’t mind snow and am healthy enough to shovel the walks while my husband does the bulk of the removal with a Cub Cadet garden tractor with a snowblower attachment. But today I’m just not into it.

So today’s post is a breather from winter. Enjoy some butterfly pictures! One of my favorite surprises on moving to the country was the sheer number and variety of butterflies visiting my gardens. I’ve learned many new species and here are only a few:

There’s only been one summer so far where this beauty graced my front garden. I noticed it immediately because it was the biggest butterfly I’ve ever seen. The wingspan of a giant swallowtail can exceed five inches and I’d say this one definitely did. It’s sitting on a fully grown coneflower.

The yellow butterfly above is an eastern tiger swallowtail. I usually see at least one each summer. They aren’t as big as the giant swallowtail but still larger than most friends it hangs out with.

Fritillary butterflies (which I’d never heard of before moving here) are a group of species characterized by sort of checkered patterns on their wings. I’m not confident whether the above is a Great Spangled Fritillary or an Aphrodite. If you happen to definitely know, tell me in the comments!

Finally, fun fact, I never knew Monarch butterflies have a doppelganger called a Viceroy. Someday I hope to have my own pictures of each, but for now here’s one from the internet showing the difference:

Notice in the top picture (Viceroy), there is a relatively straight line of black from the tail end crossing the bottom half of the wing.