Local Phenology

[pameladean]

On my way to Eric's on Saturday, I saw a Red Admiral butterfly at the bus stop. We also saw one just outside Loring Park, and when I was going home on Sunday I saw two from the window of the bus. None in the actual yard yet, however.

The trumpet lilies and the Asiatic lilies (Sorbet, specifically) are blooming, along with hairy bellflower, orange daylily, ornamental sage, and a great deal of stuff mentioned earlier, like the daisy fleabane and the Shasta daisies and the common yarrow. The purple coneflower has buds on it. The phlox has shown no inclination to bloom yet, but it has grown tall.

Cardinals are eating mulberries, much to the interest of the cats.

Pamela

Comments

[cattitude.livejournal.com]

One year, for no apparent reason, my little brother started attracting red admirals. He would have three or four at a time fluttering around him. The next year it had stopped. We don't know why.

[pameladean]

Sorry I didn't express my appreciation for this story sooner -- as you probably know, commentary was impossible for quite a while for some of us.

Last year was a banner year for Red Admirals, and I observed something similar to your brother's experience when I was at a production of Shakespeare in the Park (the local variety). Four of the butterflies returned repeatedly to flutter about and land on a particular person. We wondered if it was his hat, or the floral pattern of his shirt, or what.

Pamela