Eastern ...

... Black Swallowtail. 

Before we left for our holiday we had left our butterfly enclosure with our neighbor to watch over.   She returned it to us yesterday and very excitedly told us that she was able to release eight black swallowtail butterflies!  One each day starting on May 7.  Today one of few remaining butterflies emerged for us!  Isn't she stunning?!?

One of the things I did yesterday was make up some new hummingbird nectar as we had taken down the feeder before we left.  I didn't want it sitting out for 12 days without it being changed out ... yuck!  

I was worried that if any hummingbirds showed up whilst we were gone and didn't find the normal feeder out they wouldn't stick around.  Well ... I needn't have worried.  Late in the day I was in the sunroom photographing the chipmunk when I looked up and saw my first Ruby-throated hummingbird for the year!  Yay!  I've added a photo in Extras of her ... sorry for the not so desirable background! And the shutter speed was slower than desired as well.  But I simply had to post my first sighting of the year!