I love it when I walk out my front door and see this sort of thing going on in the parking lot:

Giant swallowtail puddling

The irrigation system in my housing complex breaks all the time, so we end up with little puddles all over the parking lot that attract butterflies.  Butterflies, such as this giant swallowtail, have a hard time getting enough salt and minerals in their diets, so they “puddle” – they suck up moisture from damp areas rich in the nutrients they need.  Apparently we have a salty parking lot because butterflies LOVE it!  And I love photographing them, so I consider it a win-win situation.

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