There Might Be Giants

I knew that if I went down to the little strip of shoreline that used to be the town beach that there was a good chance that I'd find a Giant Swallowtail 'puddling' - that is sucking up minerals from damp ground. And as you can see from the picture, I was right!

Butterflies seem to enter a trance-like state when they do this and it's possible to lean right over with a macro lens without disturbing them.

Giant Swallowtails used to be rare, now they are common, at least locally. They are southern species that lay their eggs on plants from the citrus family - not much of that in Wisconsin you might imagine, but there is a shrub called Prickly Ash that does the job. I've never actually managed to track down any Prickly Ash, but there must be some around somewhere. The caterpillar looks like bird droppings and I'd love to find one (a bit late for this year).

Clearer today, even a few puffy clouds visible, perfect temperature.

NW Wisconsin