I took this shot yesterday, but really am not seeing many butterflies in my garden this year. This is the first day cool enough to work outdoors, so I am going out this morning to see what I can do to make the garden a little more attractive to butterflies and dragonflies. Swallowtails and monarchs are in the area, I see them in the air, but nothing is stopping. Maybe creating a few wet spots will help, and the fact that more things are blooming each day now, might bring in a few more. Last year, I had an abundance of flying things in the garden with me, while I worked.

Another subject-my friend Carol up in Phippsburg, Maine wrote me yesterday to say that she still has her northern orioles. They are feeding out of the hummingbird feeder. The hummers don’t seem to mind them, even though they are quite messy. Does anyone else have this going on?