OWB
FLUTTER-BLOG

Upon golden wing take flight, dance the skies as an untethered kite  

~K. D’Angelo

Celebrate Butterflies

— OWB Flutter Blog —

California Butterfly Dreamin’

California Butterfly Dreamin’

    California Butterfly Dreamin' An Article on Butterfly Gardening in Southern California by Kristen D'Angelo Featured in the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) Butterfly Gardener Vol. 13 Issue 1, Spring 2008 Ever dreamed of the land where palm...

Caring for your Chrysalis

Caring for your Chrysalis

  A minute speck of life is set upon a leaf, out crawls a miracle, a butterfly to be…    Congratulations!! You are now the proud and fleeting caregiver of a pre-emergent Butterfly... To ensure your butterfly's safe passage from chrysalis to adult you...

Egg Laying… Not just for the Birds!

Egg Laying… Not just for the Birds!

In nature, when it comes to motherhood and eggs, the female butterfly soars with the best of them. Although, she may not have to sit on her wee ones for 12-14 hours a day, as the Robin does, she will devote almost her entire existence to being an expert egg layer....

Deerweed is not just for Deer…

Deerweed is not just for Deer…

Lotus scoparius, also commonly known as Deerweed, is definitely not just for Deer! In California, Arizona, and parts of Mexico, Deerweed sets the foothills ablaze in color from early spring through summer. This brightly hued perennial is a hot spot for local wildlife,...

A Drive-Thru Nature…

A Drive-Thru Nature…

Burger, Fries & Some Nature Please... Hold The Mayo, Extra Butterflies!   You don't have to go far to experience the wonders of Nature, because, whether you notice them or not, they surround you everyday! I was reminded of this recently as I frequented one of my...

Have You Ever Been Mallow?

Have You Ever Been Mallow?

Have you ever been Mallow, have you ever tried? The pertinent question here is have you ever tried using Mallow in your Butterfly Garden? If you have never used Mallow in your Butterfly Garden, then try it and you will be in for a pleasant surprise! Mallows are...

Can I touch a Butterfly’s Wing?

Can I touch a Butterfly’s Wing?

If you've ever handled a butterfly, you probably noticed the powdery residue left behind on your fingers. A butterfly's wings are covered with scales, which may rub off on your fingers when you touch them. That's the powder you see on your fingers. But will this...

Mourning Cloak’s… A Joy to Behold!

Mourning Cloak’s… A Joy to Behold!

The Mourning Cloak, Nymphalis antiopa, is one of the most common butterflies to be found in many regions throughout the world. There are several reasons why this handsome flier is so prevalent, but one of the most influential factors is that it uses a vareity of...

Lover’s Blues

Lover’s Blues

Two Acmon Blues share an intimate moment... Happy Valentine's Day! Love is like a butterfly, it goes where it pleases and pleases where it goes ... -Author Unknown

O’ Cassia Tree, O’ Cassia Tree…

O’ Cassia Tree, O’ Cassia Tree…

O' Cassia Tree, O' Cassia Tree, how lovely are your branches... Where some female Sulphurs are concerned, the verse above should read, how lovely are your blossoms. The brilliant yellow buds found on a blooming Cassia plant, are number one on these gals' Christmas...

What the Heck is a Hairstreak?

What the Heck is a Hairstreak?

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s a Butterfly! What the heck is a Hairstreak? Ok, ok, I know it is a butterfly and a fairly common one to be sure but where did it get its rather curious and comical name? Is the Hairstreak just another unassuming Superhero who is to...

Caterpillar Camouflage Revealed

Caterpillar Camouflage Revealed

Peek-a-boo...  I see you! I know I resemble a snake or a manatee but can you guess who I really am? Do you know exactly what species I will turn out to be. Leave a comment with your best guess, but hurry I will be revealing my true identity soon! I am starting to...

Milkweed – Ensuring the Survival of Monarchs

Milkweed – Ensuring the Survival of Monarchs

Milkweed (Asclepias) is a natural wonder - the host plant for the monarch and the queen butterflies. Without milkweed, these butterflies would cease to exist. Milkweed is also an important nectar source for butterflies, bees and other nectar seeking insects. Milkweed...

Life of a Pale Swallowtail Caterpillar

Life of a Pale Swallowtail Caterpillar

This post is a follow-up to two earlier posts I wrote titled "Pale Swallowtail Butterfly Eggs" and "Butterfly Egg Hatches". The life of a pale swallowtail caterpillar is not only rare to experience, but extremely slow and methodical compared to other caterpillars...

Recipe for Sunshine…

Recipe for Sunshine…

Ever wondered how to make sunshine? Mother Nature knows how! Below is "her" recipe for the Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly... Start with an itsy bitsy egg. Set it on the tenderest bud of a Cassia senna plant until it turns the color of sunshine. Then watch closely as the...

Camouflage is a game we all like to play!

Camouflage is a game we all like to play!

Camouflage is a game we all like to play, but our secrets are as surely revealed by what we want to seem to be as by what we want to conceal. Russel Lynes These two Anise Swallowtail chrysalises (Papilio zelicaon) express their individuality through color. Despite...

Wow! A Western Tiger Swallowtail egg!!!

Wow! A Western Tiger Swallowtail egg!!!

After years of searching... I finally found a Western Tiger Swallowtail egg! All fellow "butterfly egg hunters" out there should understand why a celebration of sorts is in order! Butterfly eggs in general can be hard to come by, especially when you are at the mercy...

The Pygmies…

The Pygmies…

Western Pygmy Blues Tremendous beauty can be found in the tiniest of things... for who has ever thought to rival that of a butterfly's wing.. ~K. D'Angelo With a wingspan measuring just under a half of an inch (1.2-2 cm) the Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exilis) is...

Got the Buckwheat Blues…

Got the Buckwheat Blues…

Got the Blues?  If you can't beat them join em! (Square-spotted & Dotted Buckwheat Blues) Whether your feeling a bit low or not, chilling with some Blues is bound to better your mood. I found this straggle of buckwheat lovers partying it up on the trail to...

Inside the Cabbage White’s Family Album

  Cabbage White Family The Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) is one of the most common travelers to frequent our skies. Due to its abundance this delicate white butterfly is often overlooked and sometimes even thought of as a pest. Carrying a non-native stamp upon...

Spending Time with Western Orangetips Butterflies

Spending Time with Western Orangetips Butterflies

When the sweet Sara Orangetip (Anthocharis sara) flutters by, you know that springtime has arrived in Southern California's coastal communities. I spent an afternoon watching for this citrus tipped beauty as I explored the chaparral which adorns the rolling hills...

Western Monarch Butterfly Day

Western Monarch Butterfly Day

Annual Western Monarch Butterfly Day WHEN: Saturday, February 1 2020 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. WHERE: Mile Square Regional Park 16801 Euclid St. Fountain Valley, CA 92708 For more information: (714) 973-6600 or email milesquare@ocparks.com OC Parks invites children and...

Spring Celebration Butterfly Give-A-Way

Spring begins March 20, 2015! In celebration of Spring, I thought it would be fun to have a Butterfly Give-A-Way!  There will be 3 lucky winners! Each winner will receive a Butterfly Larvae Kit, which contains 6 tiny painted lady caterpillars, food and instructions on...