Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Monarch butterfly count 2014

Several years ago while walking in the pasture, I was impressed by the number of butterflies that welled up as I softly passed.  Black and Tiger Swallowtails, Black and Red Admirals, Viceroys and Monarchs all swirled up like flower petals or Autumn leaves stirred by an unseen wind.  Last year I noticed significantly fewer butterflies (cold, wet Spring followed by a cool wet Summer).  This year, I decided to actually count the numbers I was seeing.
Monarch
 Up until today, the counts rested at five (5) Monarch, three (3) Tiger Swallowtail, one (1) Black Swallowtail, one (1) Black Admiral, and one (1) Red Admiral.  I guess the Monarch migration has finally reached our area because as of 11am, I've counted six different Monarch butterflies.  I don't try to capture or tag them.  Sometimes it's just nice to watch and wonder.
This other butterfly is a Viceroy.  They look a lot like Monarchs however are smaller, don't migrate, and have a slightly different wing pattern from the Monarch.  Watch for and take care of these little flowers of the air.  To learn more <click here>.

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