August 23, 2026 pollinator collage
Fritillary visitor on Pugster
Three close angles capture a fritillary-type butterfly feeding across the purple Pugster bloom, with its orange-and-black wing pattern lit by the afternoon sun.
2026 Garden Progress Nature Notes
Interesting Insects & Wildlife
Pollinators, beneficials, and little moments of life that make the garden feel active and real, including the occasional wild visitor passing through.
August 23, 2026 pollinator moment
Skipper on Pugster
A small skipper opens its orange-and-brown wings across the purple flower cone, another late-August visitor drawn into the Pugster patch.
August 23, 2026 macro detail
Wing scales in the sun
The close frame reveals the skipper's hooked antennae, dense wing scales, orange markings, and a subtle blue-green sheen behind the head.
August 20, 2026 pollinator moment
Giant swallowtail on Pugster
A giant swallowtail working the Pugster's purple florets with its wings spread wide, showing the broad yellow bands across a well-traveled dark surface.
August 20, 2026 profile
Yellow bands over purple bloom
The profile frame keeps the giant swallowtail's yellow wing pattern, long legs, and feeding posture clear while the Pugster still carries dense late-August color.
August 20, 2026 detail
Face-first in the florets
The tight view catches the swallowtail's face and proboscis at work, turning one purple flower cone into a close record of how the butterfly feeds.
August 11, 2026 pollinator moment
Honey bee on orange milkweed
A honey bee working the intricate orange milkweed flowers under a wet leaf, with the flower structure and the bee's pollen-gathering posture both unusually clear.
August 2, 2026 monarch moment
Monarch in the milkweed
A monarch settled among orange milkweed stems in the August garden—the plant's role as a host and nectar source made visible in one frame.
August 11, 2026 pollinator detail
Honey bee and orange milkweed — close detail
A sharp close view of the honey bee working through the orange milkweed flowers, with the intricate blooms and pollen-gathering posture easy to see.
August 10, 2026 pollinator moment
American lady on Pugster
An American lady butterfly feeding on Pugster butterfly bush—an especially satisfying August record, with the bright orange upperwings, dark markings, and white forewing spots fully open above the purple flower cone.
August 10, 2026 portrait
American lady among the flower cones
The wider frame keeps the Pugster flower spikes and leafy summer backdrop in view while the butterfly works the bloom.
August 10, 2026 detail
Eyespot detail
The folded-wing view shows the large, graphic eyespots and the warm orange color tucked beneath the American lady's wings.
August 10, 2026 profile
Pugster's August visitor
The side view catches the butterfly settled deeply into the purple florets—good evidence that the Pugster is still earning its name late in the season.
June 9, 2026 pollinator moment
Small blue butterfly on catmint
A tiny blue/azure-type butterfly feeding on purple catmint, with the pale blue-white wing underside, fine dark markings, and striped antennae visible in the macro crop.
June 9, 2026 detail
Small blue butterfly detail
A second close angle showing the fuzzy wing edge, dark dash markings, and how small the butterfly is against the flower buds.
June 9, 2026 context
Blue butterfly context frame
The wider phone frame keeps the scale honest: a small pale butterfly tucked onto a purple catmint flower spike above the mulch.
June 8, 2026 pollinator moment
Carpenter bee on orange milkweed
A big carpenter bee-type visitor pressed into the orange milkweed flowers, shiny black abdomen tucked below a pollen-dusted fuzzy thorax.
May 23, 2026 pollinator moment
Hoverfly on purple salvia
A sharp close-up of a hoverfly working the purple salvia, with glassy wings, bold yellow markings, and the flower spike glowing in the sun.
pollinator moment
Bumblebee on catmint
A fuzzy bumblebee working purple catmint blooms, exactly the kind of small pollinator moment that makes the garden feel alive instead of merely planted.
pollinator moment
Bumblebee on white salvia
A heavy-laden bumblebee buried in the white salvia bloom, hind legs packed with orange pollen. Exactly the kind of close-up that shows how hard these garden workers are really going.
past-years pollinator
Male eastern black swallowtail on butterfly bush
A sharper close-up of the same kind of summer pollinator moment, the black swallowtail showing off those cream spots, blue wash, and orange hindwing markings while feeding on the butterfly bush.
pollinator moment
Bumblebee on salvia
A fuzzy bumblebee buried in the salvia bloom, dusted with pollen and doing what it does best. One of those tiny garden scenes that makes the whole planting feel alive.
pollinator moment
Bumblebee on salvia, close-up
An intimate close-up of a bumblebee buried deep in a salvia bloom, showing the soft pollen coat, translucent wings, and the heavy-duty work these insects do in the garden.
pollinator moment
Bumblebee on sedum, close-up
A richly detailed bumblebee hanging from a sedum bloom, pollen bright on its head and thorax while the wings catch light in a warm, glassy sheen.
pollinator moment
Hummingbird moth on buddleia
A hummingbird moth caught mid-hover at the purple buddleia bloom, wings blurred by motion while the long proboscis reaches deep into the flowers.
pollinator moment
Monarch on buddleia
A monarch butterfly paused on the purple buddleia, wings edged in black and white, with that iconic orange-and-gold pattern glowing in the sun. A classic late-season pollinator moment.
pollinator moment
Skipper on green leaves
A warm-toned skipper resting on glossy green foliage, wings half-open and showing those bright orange patches that make skippers easy to miss until they settle in.
wildlife moment
Monarch caterpillars on milkweed
A pair of monarch caterpillars feeding on milkweed, striped and unmistakable, with the classic black-yellow-white banding that makes the whole plant feel like habitat instead of ornament.
pollinator moment
Hummingbird moth on buddleia
A fast-moving hummingbird moth hovering at the purple buddleia bloom, wings blurred in motion and body locked into the flower like a tiny airborne machine.
pollinator moment
Swallowtail on buddleia, close-up
A close, detailed look at the swallowtail working the purple buddleia blooms, with the orange markings and cream spots on the wings showing clearly against the flower cluster.
past-years pollinator
Eastern tiger swallowtail on butterfly bush
A bright eastern tiger swallowtail working purple butterfly bush blooms, with the second frame catching the same butterfly from a slightly different angle. Exactly the kind of older pollinator moment worth keeping in the wildlife archive.
pollinator moment
Orange fritillary on buddleia
An orange fritillary butterfly drinking from purple buddleia blooms, wings spread bright against the flower spikes. The second frame catches the same butterfly from a slightly different angle, still locked onto the nectar source.
yard wildlife
Eastern gartersnake in the mulch
Likely an eastern gartersnake, slim, striped, and completely at home slipping through the mulch. A good reminder that the garden is not just planted space, it’s habitat.