CONTINUING MY SERIES OF POSTS ON WALNEY POND - EASTERN TIGER BUTTERFLIES.

There were more Common milkweeds next to the pond, and I saw a lady taking photos in this area.  I was hopeful for butterflies or dragonflies.  By the time we had walked around the pond, the lady had left and Gregg and I took our own photos of an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus).  It was dining on the nectar from the blooms of a Pickerelweed.

Adult Eastern swallowtails have a wingspan as small as 3 inches, but they can grow up to 5 1/2 to 6 inches across. They also have four black parallel stripes at the top of each wing and a solid black stripe along the base. Female Eastern swallowtails tend to have more blue on the hindwings than the males.  This website has photos which will show you the differences.  You will find the Eastern tiger swallowtails from the East Coast to the Great Plains.  

You can click here to see what the caterpillar looks like.  It is also a site that shows you how to raise them.  I often think of Debbie at It's All About Purple when I see a butterfly.  She has the most gorgeous photos of them, and this link will take you to one of her posts where she has raised her own.  Thanks Debbie!  

I read here, and much more, that in the eastern half of the country, females lay yellow-green eggs singly on leaves of willow, birch, black cherry, ash and the tulip tree." 

We were getting ready to leave the pond and our butterflies, but this Blue dasher dragonfly was very cooperative and landed long enough for us to take a photo.  Dragonflies were some of the first winged insects to evolve, some 300 million years ago. Modern dragonflies have wingspans of only two to five inches, but fossil dragonflies have been found with wingspans of up to two feet.

This is a Sawtooth blackberry and can be found in many of our states, including Virginia.  

In the next photo the plants growing out of the pond among the lily pads are Pickerel weed, the blooms of which you can see in the butterfly photos.  It is also known by other names, Pickerel rush and Heart-leaved pickerel weed.  Its botanical name is Pontederia cordata.

No ID for the following but I looked up and thought it worthy of a photo, especially as the sunlight was shining through the leaves.

Next you will probably recognize the Cattail plant.  It provides a safe haven for tiny fish and attracts many of the smaller aquatic creatures that birds and other wildlife feed on.  They create a shelter from winter cold and wind for mammals and birds, and are a source of nesting material with their leaves and seeds.  

Humans have always benefited from the cattail. The plants have been used for rush bottom furniture, baskets, and mats, and their downy seeds have been used to stuff pillows and mattresses.  During World War II they were used to stuff life jackets.  It really is amazing what you can find out online.  I also read that many native peoples around the world wove cattail leaves and flower stalks into roof thatch, sleeping mats, duck decoys, hats, dolls and other kids' toys, to name a few of its uses.  Fresh leaves and roots were pounded and used as poultices.  Cattail fluff was also used in diaper linings, moccasin insulation and wound dressings.

Next photo shows the Winged sumac, botanical name Rhus copallina and also known as Shining sumac, Flameleaf sumac, Mountain sumac, Wing-rib sumac, Black sumac and Upland sumac.  It has some nice ornamental features (flower panicles in the spring, shiny dark green summer foliage, fruiting clusters in the fall and excellent fall foliage color).

That's all from our latest trip to Walney Pond. It is part of the Ellanor C. Lawrence Park which you can read about at this link.

Have a great weekend everyone.  I will be back on Monday with my weekly recipe.