We had a few butterflies around before the big freeze but not much worth posting about. Then we got clobbered by several days of very cold weather in February with two periods of twelve hours below 32 degrees. The upshot was everything froze. Now a few weeks later things are leafing out and there's a couple of butterflies each day.
So today I decided it was time to mow the yard. I've been watgering a lot lately and growth is uneven and looking very ragged. Anyway I was on the mower when this small white butterfly shot by. Immediately I thought about Falcate Orangetip. They pretty rare down here in early spring but we get one somewhere in the Valley every few years. I got off the mower and luckily it landed nearby where I could tell I was not the more expected Laviana or Turks-cap White Skipper. The underwing was white and mottled with black. So I ran into the house and grabbed the camera. Luckily I got a few poor shots and it seems I was right. This female Falcate Orangetip is butterfly #131 for our Progreso Lakes yard.
Afew days ago this striking Brazilian Skipper found one of the oranges I put out for the birds.
Otherwise it's been South Texas Satyrs, Pipevine Swallowtails and Tropical Checkered-Skippers. But we have warm southerly winds in the forecast so maybe something will blow into the yard.
