• Saturday-What'sUP June 16 - 08:23 pm

The Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies have made their return trip UP North here and are plentiful to observe, as you can see in these photos from Donna MacIntosh. She was cruising the Keweenaw highways, making her way to Copper Harbor for the day and at one of the stops, spotted these butterflies, all grouped together. Donna always has her trusty camera along for occasions just like this and I'm glad she did. It's fun to watch a butterfly flitting from flower to flower, but to see this many all together like that is neat. At first glance you just see all the yellow and black in their wings, but closer scrutiny, reveals the beautiful blues and reds at the very tip of the tail (if that's what it's called on a butterfly!). They sure are pretty, while at the same time showing off their bravery with the long commute they make each year to go south for the winter and then return again in the spring. That's some real Yooper Sisu, for sure.

Monarch Butterflies????
Tiger Swallowtails perhaps???

Mary says: Perhaps, Gormfrog. Guess you can't trust everything you see on the Internet. The first images I found when I Googled "Yellow butterfly", we're like these in Donna's photos and labeled, Yellow Monarch Butterfly, so that's what led me to believe it was a Yellow Monarch Butterfly. I stand corrected and have fixed the error in my notes. Unfortunately, the title on the photo will stay there, exposing my mistake. Thanks for keeping me on my toes. ;->

I didn't think they were Monarchs either, Gormfrog. Sure did see a lot of those at my mom's place this past week. Tried to get some pictures, but they weren't being nice. Love butterflies.

Butterflies are great photo subjects.

Great pictures Donna!

Nice pix...looks like a Steelers football huddle! I believe the red colors are lips.

Looks like the 'Invasion of the Butterflies'. Wonder if they attack? ;) Pretty, but fierce looking markings.

Thanks Janie! This was at Lake Bailey public access....never ceases to amaze me there...that's the place where we watched the turtle lay eggs one other year...we pulled up this year, and there was this bouquet of butterflies, and little tiny neon blue dragonflies....I couldn't get one of them to say SMILE tho....darn it~! LOL

Mary,
Seems like we will be thinking one thing and tap out something completely different....will look at four or five times before we see our error. (If we ever catch it).
The Yellow Swallowtails are always showing up at this time of year, but have never seen them in the numbers we are having this year before! "Flying Flowers!" Hope they stay around a while..
Donna took some amazing pictures!

Saw two turtles laying eggs while walking the dog along M-26 last evening. There were several sites of opened turtle nests and scattered shell ribbons along that same section of highway. Plenty of the swallowtail shapes in the air and on the roadside along with other black/white ones.

Beautiful butterfly photos!

Beautiful pictures! However, these are all tiger swallowtail butterflies. Tiger swallowtails do not migrate. These are all UP home grown butterflies!