Tiger Swallowtail in a Butterfly Bush

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Butterflies are one of my favorite things about summer and whenever I get the opportunity, I go looking for butterflies to photograph. This spring (2022), I planted a butterfly bush in my yard, right next to the Rose of Sharon, in hope of attracting some nectar-loving visitors. I didn't get as many as I wanted, but the ones that did show up seemed to make an appearance in the late afternoon. When I had time, I'd take my camera and sit in a lawn chair, not to far from that bush. One afternoon, this tiger swallow-tail butterfly arrived and spent what seemed like several minutes getting as much nectar as possible from one blossom, before moving to another that was in close proximity, and then to another, and then back again. It's unusual to have a butterfly stay in the same area for that long, and I took quite a few great photos. I settled on this photo to paint from.

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Butterflies are one of my favorite things about summer and whenever I get the opportunity, I go looking for butterflies to photograph. This spring (2022), I planted a butterfly bush in my yard, right next to the Rose of Sharon, in hope of attracting some nectar-loving visitors. I didn't get as many as I wanted, but the ones that did show up seemed to make an appearance in the late afternoon. When I had time, I'd take my camera and sit in a lawn chair, not to far from that bush. One afternoon, this tiger swallow-tail butterfly arrived and spent what seemed like several minutes getting as much nectar as possible from one blossom, before moving to another that was in close proximity, and then to another, and then back again. It's unusual to have a butterfly stay in the same area for that long, and I took quite a few great photos. I settled on this photo to paint from.