Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly on Lilac Blooms

What a spectacular late April day! It was a day for firsts. Dexter and I heard our first hummingbird arrive around 7:30 in the morning, and my husband and I spotted the pretty male ruby throat at the feeder shortly after noon, but it was far too skittish (and quick) for me to capture any pictures of it.

I saw the first two green lady's slipper orchids in the local gamelands; in a few weeks, they'll be in full bloom. Our yard was hopping with wildlife. A young bright red cardinal sat on the deck and teased the cat. My husband and I stole a quick but careful look at six speckled eggs in the blue jay nest when Ms. Jay took a short break from nest-sitting.

I was hoping to catch a photo of the hummingbird, and so I had my camera out when this yellow beauty arrived: a tiger swallowtail, enjoying a feast of purple lilac blooms. It stayed for a few minutes and posed prettily for me, this way and that. I believe this one to be a male, as the females tend to have a smattering of blue at the bottom of their wings, and this one did not.

The soundtrack I've chosen is a favorite Dolly Parton tune, Love Is Like a Butterfly, which I've used just one time before (and perhaps coincidentally, perhaps not, it was for the picture of the female tiger swallowtail I've linked to above!).