A Great Spangled Fritillary for Saturday Critters

I know I can always find fritillaries at a certain Milkweed Patch, however I am also quite sure that sadly I will not find any Monarch butterflies there, So with my eyes scanning the Milkweed leaves in hopes of seeing a Monarch caterpillar, I am excited when I find some beautiful Great Spangled Fritillaries feeding there as I just did this morning.

I am linking this morning to Eileen's Saturday's Critters at viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.ca

the pattern on a Chipmunks back for Thursday's Challenge

We are blessed with a view on nature when standing in our living room, However we encourage nature a bit by providing food for the taking for the many and varied visiting creatures.  Just last week we spied this beautiful striped Chipmunk helping itself to a newly filled cage feeder and I had left the top off of the inside cylinder so that the Chipmunk was easily reaching the food. The 5 stripes
pattern on the Chipmunk's back adds much to the pleasing visual beauty of the feeding creature.

                       

.I am linking today to Thursday'sChallenge.  Today's theme is: "NEAT" (Orderly, Tidy, Trim, Uniform Pattern, Clean,...)

If you wish to contribute to Thursday's Challenge today you can find the linkup at www.spunwithtears.com/thursday.html

Camera Critters at the Milkweed Patch

One of my favourite places at this time of year is to visit a milkweed Patch.  A variety of flying creatures can be found there, and each day the group visiting there may change. 
Just the  other day I found one of my favourite warblers there.  A male Common Yellowthroat, but because of its black mask like feature  over its eyes We have nicknamed this warbler;

The Lone Ranger- bird

The main reason why I am enticed to a Milkweed patch is in the hopes that I might see a Monarch butterfly; and for sure I often see many Cabbage White butterflies there as shown below. there and also often Swallowtail butterflies, shown below, can be found there,

y there. I have seen no Monarchs there lately. A Milkweed Patch can also be quite buggy, with creatures such as this fellow which takes its name from this location.  This Red and Black Milkweed Beetle ( see below) is often present along with other bugs, bees and wasps.

 Other winged creatures around a Milkweed patch are often dragonflies, Sorry I didn't take the time to id this one.

I am linking today to Eileen's Saturday Camera Critters if I'm not too late for the link at:.viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.ca

A Monarch Butterfly for Saturday Critters

Last year we didn't see any, but yesterday we saw two. I almost didn't believe our sighting but I took several pictures and when I downloaded them I said to myself, "Yes, a Monarch butterfly.
There are two milkweed patches in my area that I like to visit often when the milkweed is in bloom. Not all blossoms are now out , but many are.  I am hoping that I will be able to find a Monarch butterfly caterpillar and bring it home and watch it as it goes through its metamorphosis process. I have done this two or three times already and its magical!

I am linking today to viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.ca

viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.ca