Date: 07/25/2013

Number: 1

After observing 10-15 Monarchs nectaring on the banks of the San Gabriel River in Georgetown on June 30, I got the pleasure of hosting my first adult of 2013 to a nectar feast in my back yard. This lone, rather dull looking female left behind several eggs on my potted milkweed. A week later, I found several chewed holes in the leaves, but could find no tiny cats :( ! I continued to watch for signs that some very hungry caterpillars were chowing down at my banquet table fit for a Monarch or his Mrs., alas, NOTHING!
But, 8 days later, as I was sitting in a lawn chair, re-potting some milkweed seedlings to share with a friend, what should I spy, just at eye level, under a leaf just in front of my face, but ONE very sluggish FAT cat! Needless to say it was put up at Ritz in a beautiful butterfly suite to do his relaxing "metamorhping" in the air conditioned safety of my home. On July 24th the jade palace had become the crystal place, and by the next morning a new "Ms." had spread her wings and was ready to go out and meet the world. She was escorted out to the milkweed blooms, but hardly paused before taking flight on her journey. It was a quick good-bye, but at least she DID make it! I'm still wondering what happened to her "sibs" who had their coming out, but disappeared---a cat eating bird, some surly spider, who knows?!? At least some monarch mama liked central Texas summer enough to leave her daughter behind.
Since she took flight, I have not noticed another Monarch this summer, but these lone, and late, rangers were a definite box office hit attraction in my book! Hope their progeny come home to roost on their way to Mexico this fall!!!

Austin, TX

Latitude: 30.2 Longitude: -97.7

Observed by: Diane
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