Red Admiral Migration

While I was birding along one of my favorite powercuts yesterday, I noticed a Red Admiral butterfly. I stopped to admire it then moseyed down the path. Not too far along, I noticed another Red Admiral, then another. It slowly dawned on me that I was seeing them everywhere. I vaguely remembered that there was a butterfly, other than the Monarch, that migrated. Curious, I looked it up and sure enough not only do they migrate but there is a Vanessa migration project. They are looking for 3 things: what species, when you saw it and where. If you see them, report it.

I love citizen science.

Monarch Migration

The Monarch colonies at the overwintering sites in Mexico are breaking up and spring
migration is underway! Spring migration begins every March in a flurry. The monarchs are in a
race against time. They can't stay in Mexico any longer — but they can't
move north too quickly either. The timing of the monarch's spring
migration must be precise. Why do they go now, and how do they know when
to leave?

Interested in tracking their journey north? Follow along at Monarch Butterfly Journey North

Great Spangled Fritillary

I love saying that. Great Spangled Fritillary. The whitish looking spots on this butterfly are really shiny silver spangles in the sun. Great Spangled Fritillary. Try saying it out loud. It is one of the first butterflies I learned after Monarch and Swallowtail. I found this one nectaring on the Rocket in my yard (I'm tellin' you this Ligularia is a butterfly magnet). I also love that their larval foodplant is violets. There is something very endearing about a caterpillar that prefers violets to all other food. What butterflies do you have in your yard?

The Scent of a Lilac

Lean close. Can you smell it? Oops. Careful. There's a bee.

Try this one.


Is there anything sweeter than the smell of a lilac?

New Jersey State Botanical Gardens in Ringwood, NJ has a collection of 200 lilacs planted in the 1920s. They have spent years carefully pruning them so that they are at the right height to allow not only for viewing but more importantly (at least for me) smelling pleasure. The plants start to bloom in late April and peak around Mother’s Day.


We wandered among the heavily scented beds. The sun-warmed blossoms wafted their perfume into the air while we gently lift the heavy panicles to breathe deeply. I overheard conversations about the beauty of these flowers, the exquisite color of those and above all the comparisons of the various scents. Some were sweet, some spicy, others delicate, or woodsy. Families moved from bush to bush to sniff and examine the different shades of color. The flowers were white, violet, blue, lilac, pink, purple and a startling magenta.



I encourage you to go sometime this week to the gardens while the lilacs are at their peak. (They are down by Parking lot B.) It is lovely anytime of the year, but this week is my favorite.

Wordless Wednesday