How beautiful! Miss seeing your pictures.

Thanks Iris! I hope to get many more this year :)

Looking forward to it! Can you believe for the first time in all these caterpillars I finally got to watch first time start to finish?!

That's awesome Iris! Love how they find the most random places to form their chrysalis.

I worry about the wasps getting them. But, I hate trapping the wasps because they kill the white flies that attack the hibiscus. This may be the year that I finally make an enclosure for the cats.

Nice pics, Rhonda. It looks like you are going to have a good butterfly season. Do you have a pic of the red porterweed?

Thanks Tom! The red porterweed is just starting to bloom again. Once it gets blooming a little stronger I'll take some pics.

We had sun all day today (though it appears that we're in for a rainy evening) and the butterflies loved it! Joe got a new camera a month ago and he's been practicing with it. Today gave him a chance to really show his and the camera's abilities. Here are some of his pics of the monarchs and Gulf frits that were everywhere today. I think I've got some stiff competition :)

Beautiful pictures! What kind of camera is it if you don’t mind sharing? I would love something point and shoot that does nice close ups. By the time I am done fiddling with the settings everything is long gone.

Thanks Iris! I'll pass your compliments on to Joe. He took these all on full automatic. It takes great movies too.

It's a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80 Digital Camera. It's a 21meg with 30x optical and Carl Zeiss lens. It's really small. So small in fact that I can't use it because I'm so used to the weight of the SLRs that I can't hold it steady LOL

I'll message you info on who he purchased from since I don't know if we're supposed to name companies on here.

Rhonda

You're very welcome Iris. Canon makes some nice point and shoots with 40-50x optical zooms for around the same price as well.

My husband gave me a new camera for my birthday. Not the one you mentioned. It’s a waterproof one in case I forget in in the yard or drop it in a puddle. His words.... it’s going to be some learning, but I managed to connect it to my iPad, so I can put the pictures right here. First tries:

Iris, those are absolutely gorgeous!!!! Were they shot in macro mode? What is that unique looking creature in the last photo.

You have a very kind and smart hubby :) What camera did you get?

Rhonda

For the most part, I have no idea what I took pictures of, whatever held still long enough. It was the automatic part of the microscope mode. There is one with bigger magnification, I think. Didn’t put the extra lens my husband gave me on yet, either. It’s the Olympus Tough T-5; so it’s small enough to stick in my pocket.

Iris, I looked up that camera and its pretty cool. Especially since it's waterproof to 50 ft and tough. The picture quality is awesome.

Happy birthday!!!

Rhonda, I am really happy. I do have a Nikon 1, but by the time I got things into focus they were gone. After that I just used my iPad, but am so often frustrated by it focusing on the background. Not a patient or technical person. Still just doing the point and shoot thing. My younger daughter will still be in Peru for two more month ( imagine that, no shower, just bathing in a stream with a resident cayman). Once she is back she hopefully will give me the ropes of getting the other lens on.

Iris,

These are amazing! With the beautiful, high-quality pics you're getting with that camera, I wouldn't worry about using another camera :)

No, I can't imagine no shower or bath for 2 months! I feel grody (is that a word?) if I don't shower and wash my hair everyday. She's a real trooper!