Discovering a Congregation of Tiger Swallowtails
Yesterday was a beautiful day. While I was doing some yard work, I noticed a flurry of yellow passing by and discovered Tiger Swallowtail butterflies had congregated in the damp sand. I took some photos and watched them. Every once in a while, one of them would fly up, fitting into a small space between the others, finding a better place to suck the moisture.
It was my first time seeing so many at once, and the word I thought of was “congregate". Not only meaning to gather or assemble, but also to make a connection for support, as noted in the word's definitions.
Nature has a way of teaching us when we take the time to notice and become inquisitive. I did some research on why they gather together, and according to Adirondack Explorer, this butterfly behavior is called puddling. I learned something new!
A few springs ago, I witnessed two tiger swallowtails drinking from a puddle on newly poured cement. This was an inspiration for one of my watercolors, “After a Rain.” Their proboscis rippled the water as they drank. What I recently discovered is that these sun-filled puddling sites form when butterflies seek nutrients such as sodium, potassium, nitrogen, and other minerals.
The fresh cement they drank from also contained nutrients in the sand, which probably attracted the two I painted more than the water did.
The fascinating thing I discovered is that butterflies are attracted to sites composed of urine, animal remains, or manure compost, combined with damp soil or sand.
Sure enough, at the spot where the puddling took place, were deposits of Canadian geese, which often visit and now show off their goslings. So it wasn’t the moisture they required but the nutrients left behind in the excrement.
When they drink nectar from flowers, which helps with pollination, the flowers do not provide the nutrients they need.
The thought of butterflies being attracted to roadkill, spoilage, and urine does not sound as magical when we come upon a puddling event; however, this process is part of a small ecosystem we can witness on woodland walks or in our gardens. I think that is nature’s magic, and we can provide this resource in our gardens.
I have listed some sites you might find interesting for creating your own puddling invitation to your garden, or you can Google for other ideas. Another ingredient to add alongside damp sand is fruit, apples, oranges, and bananas. The riper it gets, the more they like it!
There is some maintenance involved: keep it dampened and change the sand, nutrients, and fruit once a month. Enjoy the beauty butterflies bring as they flutter into your yard and puddling station. As of this writing, I have not had any visitors yet.
The Florida Wildlife Federation link below provides a nice YouTube video from UGA Extension on making your own nutrient-rich source to support butterflies.
Have you created a puddling site in your garden? When you do, please share your comments below.
