Last Bit of Summer Sunshine Flying Free and a birthday . . .
I thought I'd post a belated happy birthday greeting to verangel with pics of another lovely Ver- below. Happy birthday, sweetie!
Thursday, Oct 4th was the last day I saw Verid and Pro, and I'm pretty sure it was them, as I mentioned in a previous post, and will detail below. So that is the lovely Verid above on that day, just posing to give us a brilliant final farewell. The following 6 pics are also of her on that day.
This is a large patch of wildflowers a little bit away from the lake on its southwestern side, where I found Pro, and then Verid. And when I came upon this female monarch, she flew out from the patch and circled around me a bunch of times, before settling down to feed. I do think it was Verid checking out my scent, which reminded her of where she stayed metamorphosing and she was making sure I was that same human.(-; It was a pretty joyous time for me.
The following two days were sunny before the clouds came in for a cool front on Oct 7th, and I haven't seen them since, so I hope and expect they took off for their southern migration on those days because monarchs are more sluggish in cloudy weather, needing the sun to warm their wings. Apparently, when they get going, they average 20 to 30 miles a day, and have even been known to travel 80 miles in a day, if they catch a good headwind. Those little critters sure can book it. I was busy with a job interview and going out to Warwick to feed Brigit, so I didn't get out to the lake again until the cool front came through, and they were gone.
So, if they are not gracing someone's car grill plate or chewed up by a dim-headed bird who didn't get the memo that bright flying bugs are poisonous and that's why all their buddies are avoiding those, I expect Verid and Pro to be down in the Gap of Rohan Georgia, Alabama, or Mississippi right now. At the least, they should be in the western North Carolina piedmont, and plenty southwest of all this weather mess we're dealing with here. I'm thinking they probably went more southerly before turning westerly, so as not to cross the Blue Ridge Mountains or Smokies, since it turned too cold in the mountains by October, but perhaps they managed the mountains and are taking a more westerly route. They were late starters, being about 2 weeks behind the peak migration period through here, but if they don't dawdle, they could be in the mountains of Michoacan, Mexico by Christmas time, to meet all their kin. The earliest arrivers will be coming into Michoacan this week, which makes monarchs a part of the Day of the Dead [edited] celebrations in that area. There are some monarchs that go the Florida route, but I hope this area's broods are too inland for that and it's only the coastal monarchs that take it, because I suspect it is a riskier route, current weather being an example of why.
I'm also convinced this was Verid, with Pro (pictured further down), because it was a male and female pair fluttering about the patch of wildflowers, and monarchs don't seem to be known for traveling in pairs, hetero- or homosocial, because that's the kind of thing scientists love to identify, and I've seen no web sites or articles mentioning that so far. They are social and are known to travel in groups. So not having seen other monarchs around, I'd be surprised if this male and female pair were replaced by another. There's also no reason for them to be in mating pairs because the September brood's sexual apparatuses don't develop until spring. So I'm also convinced now the damsel-in-distress monarch trapped by the boy was indeed Verid, and it was Pro that came to meet her in the tree when she was freed. It just seems most likely now.
The week between Verid's emergence and this day, Oct 4th, had been warm, up in the 70's by day, and the fall wildflowers were at their peak. So I think Verid and Pro hung around to tank up on nectar for the first week after emergence. The cool front that came in the days following left the flowers past peak, and I saw no trace of butterflies, let alone monarchs, thereafter. I suspect monarchs follow the peak nectar as they travel south.
This wildflower patch was an ideal habitat for monarchs, more so than right up along the lake where people with nets would find them. I'm thinking Verid has used up her being-trapped-by-humans-and-pinned-into-a-collection-box karma, so that should not be a further risk in her journeys. You'd think. Anyway, close to the wildflower patch are some tall trees for them to rest in by night, and among those trees is a feeder stream, which is better sheltered for them to drink from than the lake. So it's no wonder they took a week right in this spot to tank up before beginning the long journey. I had hoped and halfway expected I might see Verid again for a week or two around the lake after her release; I just expected I wouldn't be sure it was her. I did not expect all these encounters.
And this is Pro, who I spotted in the wildflower patch before Verid. He was supping along the edge of the patch so I got closer pics of him, though Verid did pick a prettier spot without dying leaves.
Pro supped for a little while, then he flew up into the tall trees I mentioned. Then I walked a little further along the patch and spotted Verid. There definitely weren't any other monarchs to be seen anywhere around the lake, but these two.
I can't believe the post-release events I've witnessed with Verid and Pro. If Pro here didn't happen to be waiting for Verid and me in the spot I released her, I wouldn't be so certain I was dealing with the same butterflies when my relative and I ran into the family with the trapped monarch, who was later greeted by another, and this day I met the pair of monarchs in this wildflower patch. It's quite a story they've taken us through. I hope it will be full and good little buggy lives that take them south of the border and back again all the way through next spring and maybe into the beginning of summer. Pro may not travel north again, and Verid is not likely to make it up this far north again. But I hope to meet her children or grandchildren next summer, when their wave of tropical sunshine reaches up here again. That is, if she doesn't take my momly advice to stay in Michoacan and live forever. Fly safely little buggies! <3 (-:
Also posted at http://lavendertook.dreamwidth.org/124899.html with
comments
Thursday, Oct 4th was the last day I saw Verid and Pro, and I'm pretty sure it was them, as I mentioned in a previous post, and will detail below. So that is the lovely Verid above on that day, just posing to give us a brilliant final farewell. The following 6 pics are also of her on that day.
This is a large patch of wildflowers a little bit away from the lake on its southwestern side, where I found Pro, and then Verid. And when I came upon this female monarch, she flew out from the patch and circled around me a bunch of times, before settling down to feed. I do think it was Verid checking out my scent, which reminded her of where she stayed metamorphosing and she was making sure I was that same human.(-; It was a pretty joyous time for me.
The following two days were sunny before the clouds came in for a cool front on Oct 7th, and I haven't seen them since, so I hope and expect they took off for their southern migration on those days because monarchs are more sluggish in cloudy weather, needing the sun to warm their wings. Apparently, when they get going, they average 20 to 30 miles a day, and have even been known to travel 80 miles in a day, if they catch a good headwind. Those little critters sure can book it. I was busy with a job interview and going out to Warwick to feed Brigit, so I didn't get out to the lake again until the cool front came through, and they were gone.
So, if they are not gracing someone's car grill plate or chewed up by a dim-headed bird who didn't get the memo that bright flying bugs are poisonous and that's why all their buddies are avoiding those, I expect Verid and Pro to be down in the Gap of Rohan Georgia, Alabama, or Mississippi right now. At the least, they should be in the western North Carolina piedmont, and plenty southwest of all this weather mess we're dealing with here. I'm thinking they probably went more southerly before turning westerly, so as not to cross the Blue Ridge Mountains or Smokies, since it turned too cold in the mountains by October, but perhaps they managed the mountains and are taking a more westerly route. They were late starters, being about 2 weeks behind the peak migration period through here, but if they don't dawdle, they could be in the mountains of Michoacan, Mexico by Christmas time, to meet all their kin. The earliest arrivers will be coming into Michoacan this week, which makes monarchs a part of the Day of the Dead [edited] celebrations in that area. There are some monarchs that go the Florida route, but I hope this area's broods are too inland for that and it's only the coastal monarchs that take it, because I suspect it is a riskier route, current weather being an example of why.
I'm also convinced this was Verid, with Pro (pictured further down), because it was a male and female pair fluttering about the patch of wildflowers, and monarchs don't seem to be known for traveling in pairs, hetero- or homosocial, because that's the kind of thing scientists love to identify, and I've seen no web sites or articles mentioning that so far. They are social and are known to travel in groups. So not having seen other monarchs around, I'd be surprised if this male and female pair were replaced by another. There's also no reason for them to be in mating pairs because the September brood's sexual apparatuses don't develop until spring. So I'm also convinced now the damsel-in-distress monarch trapped by the boy was indeed Verid, and it was Pro that came to meet her in the tree when she was freed. It just seems most likely now.
The week between Verid's emergence and this day, Oct 4th, had been warm, up in the 70's by day, and the fall wildflowers were at their peak. So I think Verid and Pro hung around to tank up on nectar for the first week after emergence. The cool front that came in the days following left the flowers past peak, and I saw no trace of butterflies, let alone monarchs, thereafter. I suspect monarchs follow the peak nectar as they travel south.
This wildflower patch was an ideal habitat for monarchs, more so than right up along the lake where people with nets would find them. I'm thinking Verid has used up her being-trapped-by-humans-and-pinned-into-a-collection-box karma, so that should not be a further risk in her journeys. You'd think. Anyway, close to the wildflower patch are some tall trees for them to rest in by night, and among those trees is a feeder stream, which is better sheltered for them to drink from than the lake. So it's no wonder they took a week right in this spot to tank up before beginning the long journey. I had hoped and halfway expected I might see Verid again for a week or two around the lake after her release; I just expected I wouldn't be sure it was her. I did not expect all these encounters.
And this is Pro, who I spotted in the wildflower patch before Verid. He was supping along the edge of the patch so I got closer pics of him, though Verid did pick a prettier spot without dying leaves.
Pro supped for a little while, then he flew up into the tall trees I mentioned. Then I walked a little further along the patch and spotted Verid. There definitely weren't any other monarchs to be seen anywhere around the lake, but these two.
I can't believe the post-release events I've witnessed with Verid and Pro. If Pro here didn't happen to be waiting for Verid and me in the spot I released her, I wouldn't be so certain I was dealing with the same butterflies when my relative and I ran into the family with the trapped monarch, who was later greeted by another, and this day I met the pair of monarchs in this wildflower patch. It's quite a story they've taken us through. I hope it will be full and good little buggy lives that take them south of the border and back again all the way through next spring and maybe into the beginning of summer. Pro may not travel north again, and Verid is not likely to make it up this far north again. But I hope to meet her children or grandchildren next summer, when their wave of tropical sunshine reaches up here again. That is, if she doesn't take my momly advice to stay in Michoacan and live forever. Fly safely little buggies! <3 (-:
Also posted at http://lavendertook.dreamwidth.org/124899.html with
comments