Date: 05/02/2023

Number: 5

At 11:30am it was 74 degrees F, mostly cloudy, 79% humidity, and with light breezes from the SE. I saw three faded-wing monarchs and two bright-winged monarchs. The elder monarchs were flying around & nectaring.

One of the bright-winged monarchs was a male who was sailing around "patrolling" ~ checking nectar and milkweed areas. I had to smile as he zoomed around, zig-zagging up and down, testing his young flying skills. Easy to see his fast-moving bright form, but not easy to get a photo.

The other bright-winged monarch I saw at this time was a female. She was checking milkweed and went right past me at one point. I started following her (hoping to get a photo), when a faded-winged male spotted her and tried to capture her. She eluded him and flew fast through some tall grain grasses. Somehow with this tactic she lost him. I saw her fly away to our front yard, but he had gotten baffled.

He believed she was hidden in the grasses and thus proceeded to flutter up and down in the tall grasses ... looking, looking, looking. This is the best photo I was able to get of him, as he never stopped moving. At some point I took a video of him that lasted 1 1/2 minutes. I actually left him as he was still hoping to find her in the deep grass.

There are not many monarchs here at this point in the season, but the ones that are continue to be interesting and much loved.

Montgomery, TX

Latitude: 30.4 Longitude: -95.8

Observed by: Kathy
Contact Observer

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