Our new yard at Progreso Lakes, 11/24/16

For years I've been looking at houses on the resaca at Progreso Lakes south of Weslaco and we finally decided to buy one.  I really wanted to be in the area for the outstanding birding but it looks like butterflies are going to be good also.  The previous owners were enamored by grass so there is little in the way of blooming plants, a situation I hope to rectify in the future.  But there is a nice purple duranta and some bottle brush and these were doing a good job at attracting butterflies.  A real surprise were several Double-dotted Skipper.

An even bigger surprise was to see two of them copulating.

A little more expected were several Red-bordered Pixies.

Otherwise it was just common stuff.  I like this Dorantes Longtail in action.

A pale ray is showing on this grass skipper but otherwise it looks like a worn Julia's Skipper.

Clouded Skipper is highly variable depending on the season.  I like the frosted cold weather form.

Here's a pretty Southern Dogface.

Here's a list from the last couple of days.  Our yard list is up to 29.

• Pipevine Swallowtail 1
• Southern Dogface 1
• Cloudless Sulphur 6
• Large Orange Sulphur 6
• Lyside Sulphur 2
• Little Yellow 1

Cassius Blue  1

• Red-bordered Pixie 3
• American Snout 2
• Gulf Fritillary 1
• Red Admiral  1
• Common Mestra 1
• Tawny Emperor 2
• Carolina Satyr 1
• Monarch  1
• Queen 1
• White-striped Longtail 1
• Dorantes Longtail  1
• Brown Longtail 1
• Laviana White-Skipper 1
• Julia's Skipper 1
• Fawn-spotted Skipper 1
• Clouded Skipper 1
• Double-dotted Skipper  3
• Fiery Skipper 4
• Whirlabout 1
• Common Mellana 1
• Eufala Skipper 2
• Ocola Skipper 1