Migrating butterflies

We are in Maine. This past weekend we were treated to butterflies both on Monhegan Island and at Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. I'm not an expert, but I believe the one on the left is a Monarch and the one on the right is a Painted Lady.

 

Here's another Monarch on Monhegan in this patch of sunflowers. George took this Monarch on a white aster or daisy on Monhegan.

 

 

At Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, several flowers in the garden attracted Monarchs. The flower to the left is a type of coneflower. I'm not sure what this purple flower is, but butterflies liked it.

 

Same purple flower, a shot with its wings closed. There were lots of Painted Ladies and some white butterflies, but the Monarchs have such a distinctive, bold look- so more photos of them.

The Monarch migration is pretty amazing. I found a site that describes it.

Each fall all of the eastern Monarchs in Canada and the United States empty out, migrating to Oyamel fir forests in the mountains of central Mexico. The fall migration commences in August and continues into December. Urquhart amazed everyone with pictures of millions of Monarchs roosting in layers on trees, weighting down branches.

When they return after the winter, the females are pregnant. They leapfrog their way north, gradually repopulating areas as they move northward.

Oh, the amazing things we can see in our RV travels when we get out of the RV and look around. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

 

Comments

[Janice L Evans]

Wow. . .you got some really awesome shots. . .we love to photography butterflies also

Janice
ReadyToGoFullTimeRVing.blogspot.com

[Jan Goldfield]

The purple flower is buddleia davidii.
Beautiful photos. Great captures.

[Jaimie Hall Bruzenak]

Thanks, Janice and Jan. It's not often we see so many butterflies at once.

I was hoping someone could tell us what flower that was- thanks, Jan!

Jaimie

[Victoria]

The butterflies are great but it's the flower photos that caught my eye. Very nice.

[Jaimie Hall Bruzenak]

The flowers were beautiful. In the afternoon the sunflowers on Monhegan were lit up by the sun behind them. That caught my eye, though the butterflies give them interest. Thanks!

Jaimie