Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Monarch

Just added 7 more photos this morning, the last few odds and ends from Day 2 of our 13-day trip to South Texas. Tomorrow, I will be ready to start on Day 3, our second full day in South Texas. A day on a tiny boat, watching Whooping Cranes and other species. Having posted so many images from basically our first full day, I rather think I will have to be somewhat more 'disciplined" in my choices, or I will never finish : ) Mind you, I had a quick look through Day 3 photos last night, and discovered that a good many of them, especially of the Whooping Cranes, are very blurry - one disadvantage of taking photos from a little boat that is bobbing up and down. Thankfully, enough of them are sufficiently sharp. Later morning, on Day 2 of our holiday, 20 March 2019, after our drive to The Big Tree and then along the Lamar Beach Road area, we went to the Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary. This is a small, 6.25 acre nature sanctuary that exists in Rockport itself. Such a peaceful place to wander, watching for plants and butterflies as well as birds. There is a small pond, where we watched a young White Ibis, a Great Egret and a Snowy Egret all feeding together. Lovely to see their reflections in the water, too. A couple of nights ago, I was Googling and came across an article from 19 March 2019, telling about a group of students who chose to spend their Spring Break week helping to tidy the Sanctuary. Good for them! "The Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary is a mixture of oak motte and native grasses. This is the original location of the famed Rockport Cottages, operated by Connie and Jack Hagar. Mrs. Hagar moved to Rockport in 1935 and devoted her life to documenting birdlife in the Rockport area." From link below. aransaspathways.com/connie-hagar-cottage-sanctuary/ After spending some time at this Sanctuary, we went to the Aransas First Cove Harbor Wetlands Sanctuary, followed by eventually finding the Newbury Park Hummingbird Garden. This was definitely not what we were expecting - just a small area of grass and trees with picnic tables. However, we did see a beautiful Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly and a small, purple Winecup flower. Afterwards, a repeat drive along Cape Velero Drive and area turned up some nice birds, too.

Just added 7 more photos this morning, the last few odds and ends from Day 2 of our 13-day trip to South Texas. Tomorrow, I will be ready to start on Day 3, our second full day in South Texas. A day on a tiny boat, watching Whooping Cranes and other species. Having posted so many images from basically our first full day, I rather think I will have to be somewhat more 'disciplined" in my choices, or I will never finish : ) Mind you, I had a quick look through Day 3 photos last night, and discovered that a good many of them, especially of the Whooping Cranes, are very blurry - one disadvantage of taking photos from a little boat that is bobbing up and down. Thankfully, enough of them are sufficiently sharp. Later morning, on Day 2 of our holiday, 20 March 2019, after our drive to The Big Tree and then along the Lamar Beach Road area, we went to the Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary. This is a small, 6.25 acre nature sanctuary that exists in Rockport itself. Such a peaceful place to wander, watching for plants and butterflies as well as birds. There is a small pond, where we watched a young White Ibis, a Great Egret and a Snowy Egret all feeding together. Lovely to see their reflections in the water, too. A couple of nights ago, I was Googling and came across an article from 19 March 2019, telling about a group of students who chose to spend their Spring Break week helping to tidy the Sanctuary. Good for them! "The Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary is a mixture of oak motte and native grasses. This is the original location of the famed Rockport Cottages, operated by Connie and Jack Hagar. Mrs. Hagar moved to Rockport in 1935 and devoted her life to documenting birdlife in the Rockport area." From link below. aransaspathways.com/connie-hagar-cottage-sanctuary/ After spending some time at this Sanctuary, we went to the Aransas First Cove Harbor Wetlands Sanctuary, followed by eventually finding the Newbury Park Hummingbird Garden. This was definitely not what we were expecting - just a small area of grass and trees with picnic tables. However, we did see a beautiful Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly and a small, purple Winecup flower. Afterwards, a repeat drive along Cape Velero Drive and area turned up some nice birds, too.

Last night, I typed all my descriptions for today in Microsoft Office, as I have a very early start to the day. This morning, I get the message that "Something went wrong" and to try repairing it from Programs and Features in the Control Panel. Tried that and it didn't work, so I may have to finish off my descriptions this evening if I run out of time this morning. Strange that it worked perfectly just a few hours ago. This Monarch butterfly image is from my archives, taken on 2 May 2011. I needed a change of subject on my photostream. Taken in the Butterfly room at the Calgary Zoo. We don't normally get Monarch butterflies in the wild this far north, though in 2012, they happened to make their way further north than usual, as far as Calgary and even further north. What a treat that was. Previously posted photo of a Monarch caterpillar on Milkweed in a comment box below. "The Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae), in the family Nymphalidae. It is perhaps the best known of all North American butterflies. Since the 19th century, it has been found in New Zealand, and in Australia since 1871 where it is called the Wanderer. In Europe, it is resident in the Canary Islands, the Azores, and Madeira, and is found as an occasional migrant in Western Europe. Its wings feature an easily recognizable orange and black pattern, with a wingspan of 8.9–10.2 cms (3½–4 in). (The Viceroy butterfly has a similar size, color, and pattern, but can be distinguished by an extra black stripe across the hind wing.) Female Monarchs have darker veins on their wings, and the males have a spot called the "androconium" in the center of each hind wing[7] from which pheromones are released. Males are also slightly larger. The Monarch is famous for its southward migration and northward return in summer in the Americas which spans the life of three to four generations of the butterfly." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_(butterfly)

Got the chance to see another Monarch butterfly at the Calgary Zoo - they don't get many there in the ENMAX Conservatory, but I have seen one on maybe three occasions. This summer was a very unusual one here in Alberta, as we don't usually get Monarchs as far north as Calgary, but this year they travelled further north and we were seeing them in this city (and apparently north of us, too). I love their white spots on black and the yellow and orange wings.

I think the left hand end of this beautiful Monarch caterpillar is the head end : ) Seen in someone's garden after our day of botanizing at Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park, 15 July 2012. Monarchs feed on Milkweed, in this case Showy Milkweed.

Showy Milkweed is growing in someone's garden and I was lucky enough to finally see a few Monarch caterpillars. I've seen so many beautiful photos taken by other people over the years and never thought I'd get the chance to see a Monarch. This year, though, has been unusual, as people have been seeing a few of these amazing butterflies in Alberta, including in Calgary. www.monarch-butterfly.com/ I found this beautiful, time-lapse video (only four and a half minutes long) on YouTube. Worth looking at if you have a few moments to spare. "It shows the entire lifecycle of the Monarch butterfly from a tiny caterpillar hatching from an egg on a Milkweed leaf through metamorphosis to become a glorious adult butterfly. Filmed utilizing high powered microscopic cameras and time-lapse photography. Produced for the Chicago Nature Museum in Chicago, IL." youtu.be/7AUeM8MbaIk The link below is to an article by CBC News, about the surprise appearance of Monarch butterflies in Central Alberta this summer. www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2012/06/20/monarch-butte... If you have more free time, this is a longer video by NOVA, about the amazing 2,000-mile migration of Monarchs to a sanctuary in the highlands of Mexico. video.pbs.org/video/1063682334

Normally, in Calgary, a very rare Monarch butterfly might be spotted in the city - I'd only ever seen one, from far away. This summer has been different for some reason, with Monarchs travelling to Calgary and quite a bit further north in Alberta. The one in my photo is the fourth one I've seen this summer. Robin, a botany friend, and I had bumped into each other at the Zoo on July 24th and then gone our separate ways. I was busy photographing flowers in the zoo garden a bit later, when an excited Robin found me and let me know where there was a beautiful Monarch near by. It was enjoying the Scabius flowers. Thanks, Robin! www.monarch-butterfly.com/ I found this beautiful, time-lapse video (only four and a half minutes long) on YouTube. Worth looking at if you have a few moments to spare. "It shows the entire lifecycle of the Monarch butterfly from a tiny caterpillar hatching from an egg on a Milkweed leaf through metamorphosis to become a glorious adult butterfly. Filmed utilizing high powered microscopic cameras and time-lapse photography. Produced for the Chicago Nature Museum in Chicago, IL." youtu.be/7AUeM8MbaIk The link below is to an article by CBC News, about the surprise appearance of Monarch butterflies in Central Alberta this summer. www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2012/06/20/monarch-butte... If you have more free time, this is a longer video by NOVA, about the amazing 2,000-mile migration of Monarchs to a sanctuary in the highlands of Mexico. video.pbs.org/video/1063682334

Not the sort of photo I like taking - the background is far too "messy" - but this beautiful Monarch butterfly actually landed, even though it was not being very co-operative, ha. I don't know if there were any reports of any Monarchs being seen in Calgary last summer. I know one recent year, about six were seen. Taken at the Calgary Zoo on May 2nd. Good morning, Jim (Garnite) - I do hope you are feeling a little better today. The news yesterday was good, so we all hope you continue to improve. A long, slow process, but good thoughts are being sent to you and Linda again today. If anyone else would like to send healing thoughts to Jim - he really needs all the thoughts and prayers he can get - please go to the For Garnite Group here: www.flickr.com/groups/1655195@N20/ and post your good wishes and beautiful images there. They will be so much appreciated : )

I was careless and didn't quite get the whole of the identification label in my original photo, so am not sure what tropical butterfly these gorgeous chrysalisses belong to. I think it's just amazing that each has a row of tiny gold dots. Nature is so clever and beautiful : ) Seen, of course, at the Calgary Zoo. Thanks so much to Art (LeapFrog!) for the Monarch ID! Click here, if you are interested and have time, to see a photo documentary of the various stages of a Monarch, from caterpillar to butterfly. I love the way the chrysallis turns a beautiful shade of blue. www.linknot.com/Magic-Garden/Monarch-chrysalis.htm Two short, amazing videos of the transformation from caterpillar to chrysallis, from clayruth.com/pupa.html . clayruth.com/Content/Pupation.wmv clayruth.com/Content/Contraction.wmv

We rarely get Monarch butterflies in the wild here, though you do hear the very occasional report. Wonderfully, the Calgary Zoo butterfly room had a Monarch butterfly, so at least I was able to see what a Monarch really looked like and photograph it. We were so lucky last summer to see a Viceroy butterfly in the wild (my very first sighting), which looks very similar to a Monarch. "The Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae), in the family Nymphalidae. It is perhaps the best known of all North American butterflies. Since the 19th century, it has been found in New Zealand, and in Australia since 1871 where it is called the Wanderer. In Europe, it is resident in the Canary Islands, the Azores, and Madeira, and is found as an occasional migrant in Western Europe. Its wings feature an easily recognizable orange and black pattern, with a wingspan of 8.9–10.2 cms (3½–4 in). (The Viceroy butterfly has a similar size, color, and pattern, but can be distinguished by an extra black stripe across the hind wing.) Female Monarchs have darker veins on their wings, and the males have a spot called the "androconium" in the center of each hind wing[7] from which pheromones are released. Males are also slightly larger. The Monarch is famous for its southward migration and northward return in summer in the Americas which spans the life of three to four generations of the butterfly." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_(butterfly)

Seen at the Calgary Zoo, but wish I had seen it in the wild. It is extremely unusual to see a wild one here and I had longed for the last few years to see one. So, I was thrilled yesterday to hear a little boy in the new Enmax Conservatory tell his Mom that he could see a Monarch. Of all the butterflies in the room, this was the only one that was not opening its wings at all - and, then, suddenly it did, for just a moment!! Jacket, fleece jacket and a sweater were not what I should have been wearing in the warm, tropical atmosphere of this room - but it was SO worth it : ). And now, after only two and a half hours sleep last night, and hours of sunshine and fresh air all day, I can't keep awake. My alarm went off at 5:40 a.m. this morning and I have been out almost all day today, doing a nature exploration of the wooded areas of the grounds of a Golf Course outside the city, recording everything seen (birds, plants, lichens, insects, etc.). It got up to 18C today, but thankfully our walk was very slow-paced. I know I, for one, need to gradually build up to tougher walks and hikes after the last seven sedentary months, LOL.