I took this photo of a monarch butterfly in my garden last July, 2008. I ran to get my camera and snapped it before this monarch sitting on a zinnia flew away. I knew this was just a short stop on a long journey and wanted to document it. I have chosen plants for my garden which attract birds and insects that live or migrate through here. It has worked! Hummingbirds, butterflies, bees and goldfinches alight on the flowers below my kitchen window.
Monarchs are especially noted for their lengthy annual migration. In North America they make massive southward migrations starting in August heading for Mexico until the first frost. A northward migration to Canada takes place in the spring. The monarch is the only butterfly that migrates both north and south as the birds do on a regular basis. But no single individual makes the entire round trip. It takes several generations to complete the migration.
How the species manages to return to the same overwintering spots over a gap of several generations is still a subject of research; the flight patterns appear to be inherited, based on a combination of circadian rhythm and the position of the sun in the sky
I haven't seen one monarch butterfly this year. A google search informed me that due to a rainy June and July, the migration has been interrupted. Loss of habitat is another reason and with development comes the absence of milkweed, their primary food. Milkweed is poison to birds, and the bright orange color of the monarch warns birds to stay away. In the end global warming is also a culprit in what we hope will be a temporary absence of monarchs. Climate change is causing extreme weather as we have seen this summer. We have seen increased precipitation and cooler temperatures on the east coast, and drought and deadly fires in the west.
On a positive note, milkweed has become a coveted ornamental plant in Bermuda. The monarchs have found it and their numbers are increasing there. So one thing we can do is preserve and plant milkweed that some consider a weed. It could be a matter of life and death for the kings and queens of all butterflies.
3 comments:
I remember endless summer days at the lake walking up to the farm past clusters of milkweed that grew along the pasture fence. Certainly it was Martha Montgomery who first showed me how to pop them and splatter the milk all over the place, and certainly I was on the receiving end.
When considering the often daunting challenges of our own daily lives, imagine the first intrepid Monarch that took a right turn off the well traveled north-south overland migration route and decided to head over to Bermuda. Amazing! Unlike plants or animals that secured passage on boats and remained, the Monarch had to then get itself back to Mexico.
Incredible story, Barb and a stunning photo!
Thank you.
Probably why there are still so many "mostikoes"this year.
Nice job, Barb.
Martha Gordon tracks monarchs and sadly has not seen one this year! If you want any information on the subject, she's the guru.
Thanks for having us take a minute to admire that incredible monarch in your picture! I hope next time it will be on some milkweed in your own backyard!
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