Fall is butterfly season in Austin

Butterflies are active in Austin for most of the year, but fall features a splendid of the fluttering beauties. It's like a second spring.

A queen butterfly, a close relative to monarchs, takes a sip of nectar from Gregg's mistflower in my backyard pollinator garden.

There are dozens and dozens of butterflies flitting through the backyard. It's magical.

Probing deep for a sip of nectar, an unidentified butterfly spends several minutes refueling before setting off again.

An unidentified butterfly is drawn to the sweet nectar from malabar flowers that are just beginning to form.

An American snout butterfly can't wait for malabar flowers to open and steals a few sips from the forming clusters.