[Magdalen] Le Premier Papillon.

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

Just now I saw my first butterfly of the season.  There was a  bright flash
of yellow, and then golden fluttering the length of the  front deck.

 
It appeared to be one of the "Swallow Tail" species, and probably  attracted
to my property because of my prize Tulip tree (Liriodendron  tulipifera)
which is just near the deck, or to one of many magnolia shrubs and  trees
here.
 
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_glaucus
 
 
We don't see Monarch butterflies here much any more.  I miss their 
brilliant orange and black.  They fed on a rather large patch of  Milkweed
along the road about a block away, but then the development decided  to
keep the roadside mowed.
 
I am reminded, this Memorial Day weekend (USA) of the  campaigns
for grammar school students to collect the milkweed pods for  their
"fluff" used in floatation devices for military service men and  women.
It's a wonder any Milkweed survived this species "holocaust", since  most
of the seeds were gone with the fluff.
 
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_butterfly
 
 
 
 
David Strang.