While on our “Mutts to the Mountains” get-away, we were delighted to see an abundance of beautiful butterflies fluttering about. Instead of hovering over flowers (which aren’t fully blooming yet) many of them were “puddling” – which is when they land on a wet area near a puddle and drink up mineral water. Since mostly males do this, it is thought that it helps them get ready for mating.

At one point we pulled over to the side of the road and I hopped out with my camera to see if I could get some shots. Now, at the risk of dating myself, I have to say that it felt like an old Prell shampoo commercial. First there was one butterfly – a Pipevine Swallowtail…

…and then he told two friends…another Pipevine and a Spicebush Swallowtail…

…and then they told two friends…a couple more Spicebushes and a Tiger Swallowtail…

and before long there was quite a butterfly bonanza.

All the flitting and fluttering made for a bit of a blur, but it was fascinating to watch.

I love how their patterns blend together.

It’s definitely prettier to take their pictures on flowers, but it was fun to watch them in this unusual behavior. I think the picture below could make for a pretty challenging jigsaw puzzle.

Hopefully soon our Zinnias will be blossoming and my front yard will have butterflies perched and ready to pose.