Date: 04/27/2011

Number: 1

Amiga hola hermoso de mariposa.

I am hoping this translates to. Hello beautiful butterfly friend (it's a girl).

Around 1 PM I was out releasing some swallowtails that had emerged from my over wintering cage. As I was setting them free, there was a gust of wind (17 mph) coming from the SSE, there she floated in. The temperature was in the mid-70s. I wasn't sure it was a female because she was checking out the yard like a male does before he takes up territory. She is definitely faded and definitely a female. I saw her laying eggs. She is still out there checking out the yard and laying eggs on common and swamp milkweed. I tried to place some of the pots of tropical milkweed, that I had just purchased, to see if she would lay on them. I saw her checking out one of the labels (it shows a picture of a blooming milkweed). She spent a little time nectaring on a meadow sage, I can't remember the name of it. But, bees love it. I did take a picture of it.

Here are a few pictures via Photobucket:
http://s964.photobucket.com/albums/ae121/Runmede/FOY%20Monarch%20Female%204%2027%2011/
Click on the picture to make it larger.

Herndon, VA

Latitude: 39 Longitude: -77.4

Observed by: Mona
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