Butterflies 2.

8-21-12 VERMONT: Happy Anniversary to A & D and V & S, it’s very convenient for me that you all used the same day. Here, the weather remains great, and dry for almost the first time this summer. I spent another couple hours yesterday wandering around in the waist-high mint and found a few new visitors, some of which are below.

New blooms: autumn sedum.


Viceroy, a Monarch mimic. Monarchs grow up on milkweed and retain some chemical from the plant that makes them distasteful to birds, who know to avoid them. The look-alike Viceroy profits from the same appearance without that chemical.

Orange Sulfur, it takes a lot of patience to get these guys, they're always on the move. Mint.

Another beauty-White Admiral. Mint, milkweed.