This is the second-to-the-last monarch butterfly that hatched this morning in my ranch. I tagged and released her this afternoon, but she was kind enough to pose for this lovely photo before flying away. I have one more monarch that will hatch tomorrow and that will be the conclusion of a super successful season for my monarch ranch -- a grand total of 23 monarch butterflies raised, tagged and released in my backyard to begin their long journey to Mexico.
I will probably shed a few tears as I send the final butterfly on its way......it will be hard saying goodbye to the last of my "monarch children" and facing the fact that the final days of summer 2009 have arrived.
13 comments:
And thanks, Ruthie, for letting all of us participate in your monarch adventure, too!
Thanks for sharing your monarchs with us, Ruthie. Have fun with Lynne this weekend!
Aww..your babes are growing up and flying away..
So cool! Glad you shared this with us!
Heres a cyber tissue!
Wow, 23 is a lot of butterflies. Have you ever heard of one of the tagged monarchs being found?
She's beautiful Ruthie. I hope all your "babies" make it safely to Mexico. :c)
Really neat I'll watch for it as it flies south. On Wisconsin!
I am glad your ranch was a success this year. The tiny caterpillars I collected a couple of weeks ago are still caterpillars. During a very cool week they did not seem to feed at all, but this week they are growing quickly. But I fear it is too late in the season for them be successful in becoming butterflies.
You're welcome Mama Pea. Glad you enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to a much larger ranch for next summer!
Thanks Cindy. I've never birded in Wisconsin, so it will be fun to see what Lynne and I can spot.
Thanks Dawn -- esp. for the cyber tissue! :-)
Hi Lisa,
I've never heard that any of my tagged butterflies have been found and I'm not surprised when you see the millions that winter in Mexico--I'm amazed that any tagged monarchs are found!
Thanks Jayne. When I tag them and hold such a delicate creature in my hand, it's miraculous to think that any of them can fly all the way to Mexico.
Thanks Troutbirder.
Hi Ruth,
Don't give up hope. Our weather forecast for the next 7 days is still showing warm temps and sunny. If the weather stays seasonably warm, there might still be a chance for your monarchs to make it.
Awww, Ruthie, she's beautiful. Thank you for giving her (and all the others) a safe place where she could transform into her lovely butterfly self. Congratulations on such a successful season, and I hope that someday you will hear about one of your tagged "babies"!
You did a beautiful thing Ruthie. It's been so fun watching your Monarch children grow and go out on their long journey.
Thanks Heather. It has been an amazing summer and I've really enjoyed learning more about the monarchs and sharing it with everyone.
Thanks Gaelyn. I heard on the news last night that south Texas was getting some rain, so hopefully that might help alleviate the drought conditions a bit as the monarchs move through that area on their long migration to Mexico.
What a wonderful photo! I agree about parting with summer and its abundance.
What a stunning photograph. I know what you mean about being sad when they leave. I'm still having "empty nest syndrome" since the day my porch babies (the Western flycatchers) left.
Thanks for sharing your Monarch ranch!
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