Richard Moore Outdoor Report: Garden of Delights

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas (ValleyCentral) — As the light of dawn filters through the garden, the enticing swaths of green foliage will soon unveil delicate wing emissaries seeking myriad blooms for nectaring.

Turk's cap offers glistering red budding flowers, and milkweed beckons nestled amidst enticing green leaves. Morning dew sparkles golden-orange butterfly weed as the day's first pollinators begin to stir.

Alighting on a favorite flower shimmering with dew, a Red-bordered pixie remains motionless as the velvet black butterfly adorned with striking red markings patiently soaks up the warming sun with wings spread.

Slowly, the pixie begins to rhythmically move its wings as it begins to probe for breakfast.

Soon, other pixies arrive and after dutifully absorbing the life-giving warmth of the sun they join their brethren for communal nectaring.

Queen butterflies are early risers that also savor the glistening flowers, as they carefully probe for sustenance with their delicate proboscis.

As the sun climbs, other garden delights are illuminated attracting plentiful pixies, and soon the Corona de Reina or queen's wreath lures a tropical pixie.

It is difficult to move one's gaze from the enthralling pixie, but a nearby bloom hosts a brilliant Blue metalmark.

While the aptly named pixie is a small butterfly measuring perhaps an inch and a half wingtip to wingtip, the Blue metalmark is even more diminutive at barely an inch.

However, what the Blue metalmark lacks in size is more than compensated with a hue of shimmering metallic blue.

Pixies shun the sun, and soon the metalmark is abandoned and the pixies head to the shade. So, after a brief breakfast pixies flutter to the protective underside of leaves for a lengthy South Texas siesta.

These two tropical beauties are Rio Grande Valley specialties, and if you want to see a Red-bordered pixie or a Blue metalmark in the United States then the Rio Grande Valley is the place.