Date: 08/02/2013

Number: 2

The Common milkweed is past flowering, their seed pods are enlarged and not too far from maturity. So today, I started cutting some of the 'weed' and to my delight I chased up one then two Monarch butterflies. These are the first we have seen this season. Usually we see our first ones in mid-June so we are more than one generation behind in timing.

Usually by this time of year we are watching the first batch of adults emerging from their pupae.

I just hope these stay around and start a new generation fast. The one I got a good look at was female. We have lots of milkweed for them to feed on. The wet and hot July has made the plants tall and robust. However, the Monarch like to lay their eggs on the young plants but we have lots of that in areas we have cut earlier. It grows back quickly.

It's not too lake for the Monarchs here, if we get eggs now we should have adults by early September. We have released adults as late a October.

Forwarded from Nature NS list by Don Davis.

Brooklyn Corner, NS

Latitude: 45.1 Longitude: -64.6

Observed by:
Contact Observer

The observer's e-mail address will not be disclosed.
Contact will be made through a web-based form.