Date: 09/01/2006
Number: 1
I watched the sky with binoculars this afternoon--very patiently--to see if I could see any migrating monarchs. I stared and waited, wondering how high a monarch might fly today and what it would look like if I did see one.
I watched nothing for at least 5 minutes--and then there it was. I could hardly believe my eyes! Yet the sun hit the monarch's orange wings and I could see it cleary. It was way, way up high, and flapping occasionally as the wind carried it westward.
I waited another 5 minutes, staring at nothing. Then the next one appeared. I have no idea how high either was flying. When I put the binoculars down to check the butterfly vanished. Two tiny butterflies in ten minutes, but I couldn't have been more excited.
Next, we went for a drive to see what we could find. There was goldenrod all along the roadsides--in full bloom--but no monarchs were seen nectaring. We went in search of farmers' fields that might be blooming with red clover or alfalfa. Nothing...
Suddenly we spotted a brilliant yellow field across the river, aglow in blooming golden sunflowers. Would it attract migrating monarchs we wondered?
There, on flowers the size of dinner plates, we found hungry monarchs flitting about. Wandering below the giant plants we took these pictures.
We went out in search of something beautiful this afternoon and look what we found!
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Norwich, VT
Latitude: 43.8 Longitude: -72.3
Observed by:
Contact Observer
The observer's e-mail address will not be disclosed.
Contact will be made through a web-based form.
