Taking Flight

[Patti]

This morning while filling up the birdbath in my butterfly garden, I noticed a big Monarch climbing up from the bottom of my Lantana. She stayed on a top branch for quite a while with both wings pressed together then started opening her wings back and forth; I ran upstairs to get my camera. When I returned she was gone. AS i searched around my garden for her, I spotted another one, smaller, doing the same thing. About that time I noticed one in the air and another drying out clinging to a rock. I photographed each of these. In all I saw only five, two in flight and three "coming out". They all headed north from my garden, crossing over a canal in a heavy wind of 20 to 30 miles an hour!

About two weeks ago I had moved about 12 caterpillars to five different milkweed plants with blossoms and leaves. The cluster of milkweed where the eggs had hatched was completely eaten down to the stem and some of the caterpillars were still very small. The next day most of the milkweed was down to the stem and late in the day the caterpillars were gone. I searched everyday for a chrysalis but never found one. Now i know they were just well hidden. The Monarchs picked a bad day to hit the road. I wish them the best.

[Patti]

Monarchs continue to fly into the garden here. I only see one at a time. The milkweed has grown new leaves and caterpillars are hard at work eating every little bit.

[Mona Miller]

I'm preparing for their arrival. Last year, it was May 15. A friend, Denise Gibbs, a naturalist at Black Hill Regional Park in Boyds, Maryland gave me a van full of milkweeds and other plants today. I will share some with teachers/school. I am getting excited. I noted on Journey North that they have already hit Tennessee.

[Patti]

My garden continues to be active although it seems only one Monarch at a time. The milkweed no sooner sends out leaves that I notice it completely eaten up again. I countinue to transfer caterpillars, some of them so skinny, to plants with more leaves and even buy new plants in the hope that some will make it to chrysalis stage. Yesterday I watched two Monarchs mating in flight. They eventually flew attached into a Hibiscus bush. This was a first for me.

[joann0811]

[quote="Mona Miller"]I'm preparing for their arrival. Last year, it was May 15. A friend, Denise Gibbs, a naturalist at Black Hill Regional Park in Boyds, Maryland gave me a van full of milkweeds and other plants today. I will share some with teachers/school. I am getting excited. I noted on Journey North that they have already hit Tennessee.[/quote]

Mona, When do we generally see Monarch's in this area?

[Mona Miller]

15 years ago it was late April. Now it is anywhere from mid May to mid June.

[Wyvern]

[quote="joann0811"][quote="Mona Miller"]I'm preparing for their arrival. Last year, it was May 15. A friend, Denise Gibbs, a naturalist at Black Hill Regional Park in Boyds, Maryland gave me a van full of milkweeds and other plants today. I will share some with teachers/school. I am getting excited. I noted on Journey North that they have already hit Tennessee.[/quote]

Mona, When do we generally see Monarch's in this area?[/quote]


I know Denise. I work at one of the nature centers in PG county. I think she's been doing the monarch stuff longer than I have and I've been doing it about 20 years or so LOL.

I've seen two monarchs flying this week in Ft Washington, MD so they are in the area. We usually don't see noticeable/easy to find caterpillars until July.

[Mona Miller]

I saw a Monarch nectaring on milkweed yesterday in Maryland. We got stuck in traffic on 495 W near Wheaton, Maryland coming from NJ. The common milkweed is abundant along the byways this year and is now in bloom.

Denise got me hooked on butterflies. She used to teach the USDA/Audubon Naturalist Society class on butterflies. Denise has a wonderful Monarch Fiesta at Black Hills Regional Park in Boyds, Maryland. This year it is on Saturday, September 5, from 10-3. I will be helping raise Monarchs for this and doing tagging demos.

I raised a few eggs that were laid around the end of April. I let the aduts breed in my tent and they laid eggs. I am currently raising their offspring.

I've been raising butterflies since my son was 4 years old and now he is going to be 21 in July.