Swallowtails in the Redbud trees!

Today it is another 90 degree day in North Carolina. Pollen is falling everywhere and everything is covered in green stuff. I took a walk up the driveway today and found 5 Eastern Tiger Swallowtails feeding like crazy on one branch of a special Eastern Redbud tree.

Here is a fresh dragonfly from the driveway a female Common Whitetail. Today was the first day to see Common Whitetails, maybe 4 of them along the driveway today.

You can see on both dragonfly photos here the pollen on the bodies.

Here is a male Stream Cruiser the scientific name is one I always remember Ditymops transversa. This was one of the first dragonflies I saw this year. These guys pose well for the camera unlike many of the other spring dragonflies.

Whoa, it was a hot spring day!

Today I think it hit 90 degrees here, boy was it hot! The dragonflies finally appeared! I was driving out the drive and I saw about 12-15 of them chasing a hatching of small bugs. I got out and IDed Stream Cruiser, Blue Corporal and Common Basketail. When I got back later all were gone. Below the pond I saw a forth species of dragonfly but did not get the full ID it was one of the two sundragons.

For the past three nights American Toads have been calling all night. I want to go and look for them soon, when I get the time.

Anyway here are some of our latest bloomers in the garden.

 Clematis Armandii  'Snowdrift' I picked this up last year at the Durham Garden Center, it has grown at least 3 foot this year. Stone Brothers has a bunch of them today, all bloomed out. I've not picked up the strong fragrance this year.

Our Bleeding Hearts.
Been drooling over Catherine's Bleeding Hearts. 

Here above and below is Mount Hood daffodil. This one started out with the yellow cone as above and it  fades to a pure white. The two earliest ones have turned all white but look bad from the rain we had the other night.

Miniature daffodil Tazetta Canaliculatus

These are 4-5 inches tall! I have been seeing swallowtail butterflies attracted to them too.

Here is another Tazetta daffodil Golden Dawn
These are 12-14 inches tall and I wish I'd planted more of these!

Here is a daffodil 'Golden Echo'

Baby Moon with an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail enjoying it!

Another Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on our creeping phlox.

Something I been waiting to see for the first time Muscari 'Golden Fragrance"
Not sure if it will get more yellow or not.

Could not resist this shot of crocus 'Pickwick'