Day 238: Yesterday, I saw my first swallowtail of the season, making a bee-line...no, a butterfly-line straight to the lilac. They used to be abundant here, but over the last several years, their numbers have declined. Now admittedly, I only saw one, but that's up from last year's tally, and I hope it means that more will be arriving soon. They are particularly drawn to the lilac and to the delphiniums in my yard (the delphiniums are not yet in bloom). Other local hosts for this species (Pale Swallowtail, Papilio eurymedon) include Red Alder, Serviceberry and Oceanspray. The butterfly can be identified by orange and blue markings on the hind wings, and a slight twist to the "tail" of the wing.
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