Woo! Hoo! First Monarch in my yard for season

17 years ago

They'rrrrre baaaack!!!

Was outside potting plants about 7:30 p.m. tonight, and noticed my 1st Monarch of the season necaring on my crabapple and lilacs!!!! It then flew up into the trees, so was not able to get a good look as to gender, or appearance.

The milkweed is just starting to come up. I put out some pots of Trop. milkweed that I had overwintered in the garage, that is starting to put new growth on. Hope that I get eggs!!!

It's so great to have the Monarchs back.

Saw a yellow female Tiger flying around earlier today. I don't usually see many yellow females. Sure would be great to get eggs on my cherry tree. :)

I'm doing the butterfly dance!!! :)

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Comments (12)

MissSherry
17 years ago
Congrats, congrats, Linda!
I sure hope you get eggs on your over-wintered milkweed!
I don't get many yellow female tigers either, but they're very beautiful!
MissSherry
susanlynne48
17 years ago
Linda, Linda, Linda! You are the luckiest Monarcher I've seen here. I may be begging (on hands and knees) for a baby or two if I don't get any before August again.

0
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LOL! Congratulations. I think it's supposed to be rainy today, so doubt I'll see any butterflies!

Susan
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Woo hoo, way to go, Linda! You must have thought you were seeing things at first....so many eggs! You sure are lucky! My daughter and I were outside today putting the first coat of paint on our butterfly cage. Since it was nice out today and she was here, I wanted to get that done. I want to have it done well ahead of when I start finding Monarchs (beginning of August last year). After the second coat, then the screen goes on and I'll take a picture or two to show everyone. I thought I'd better get it done now before I start gardening because once that gets going, there seems to be no end to it until the frost. I really love gardening, but it's a lot of work. I hope you have a lot of Monarchs this year and also enough milkweed for them. Cathy
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Great choices--not a bad variety in the bunch. A few suggestions for planting: Allegan Fog--this one will grow anywhere from full shade to full sun, but will hold it's spring color better if it gets a fair amount of sun Big Daddy--give it shade to keep the blue coloration longer in the season, and give it lots of room--it will get 6 feet across at maturity Fragrant Bouquet--this one likes a great deal of sun, and will in fact take full sun, but it needs at least half a day of sun to bloom well, as it's one of the Plantaginea family Midnight Ride--the only one I don't grow, but it's of Patriot heritage, basically a solid sport of Paul Revere and should be a good grower Minute Man--I prefer this to Patriot, and like it enough to have multiple clumps--it will grow well anywhere, and doesn't have the reversion problems of Patriot and Revolution Paul's Glory--a long time favorite in my garden, beautiful grown in anything from full shade to 3/4 sun, but gets the best coloration in about 1/2 sun, and if you get a long, mild fall, this one will turn a bronzy orange color!
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Thanks Craig for your North Tulsa report. I will forward your info on. Sorry, that I have not gotten with you sooner. I've been busy "chasing Monarchs!" You are right on the money, Dawn. Monarchs love to fly way up there with the raptors. Have you ever seen a Monarch circle around, and then go up until they are out of sight? They love to catch the thermals, as the hawks and other migrating birds do when the north wind is just perfect. They exert alot less energy, and more guaranteed survival by sailing with the wind, as opposed to continually flapping their wings against the wind. Alot of hawk watchers in Texas are also good Monarch reporters. Large roost update: At home, Monday evening, rain and strong southerly winds had Monarchs scurrying to the north side of the trees, looking for shelter. Tuesday morning, the wind changed to the north, and about 9 a.m., the Monarchs were coming down out of the trees, spreading their wings, trying to soak up what sun they could. By 12 noon, most of them were gone. If there would have been any way I could have gotten off Tues., I would have dearly LOVED to have gone out to the large roost, and gotten pics of them with their wings open trying to soak up the rays before they left! That's were folks get these great pics of Monarchs roosting with their wings open! Oh, well.... another time. I have heard that there is another wave of Monarchs noted in Bartlesville, that should be making their way down. This group seems to be late. I had about 6 Monarchs in my yard today. There is always a bit of sadness when a large group leaves, though I know that they "gotta go", and time is of essence. The first bunch of Monarchs are already approaching the Mexican border! Journey North has some great articles on how high can you see Monarchs? Here is a link that might be useful: How high do Monarchs travel?
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mcronin
17 years ago
Linda,

Your butterfly dance must be a winner. Could you teach us the dance so we can attract Monarchs sooner?

mike
susanlynne48
17 years ago
Linda, is your senna up yet? I have senna hebecarpa, but not a sign showing yet. Just wondered. I have the senna alata and bicapsularis to plant, so can use that as well.

Susan
Lisa_H OK
17 years ago
Yeah Linda!!!! Congratulations!

I thought I saw my first one yesterday....I saw a flash of orange around my forsythia. When I focused, it flew away. I found it again a little later...not a monarch, I ran inside to grab my camera and it disappeared. I was so disappointed. ...and my butterfly id book is lent out at the moment...I guess I'm going to have to ask for it back!

I saw a little pearl crescent (?) yesterday too, he was perched on a dandelion.

My fennel is in the ground and the dill is ready to go. I wished I had done that since we are getting some really nice rain today.

Lisa
tdogmom
17 years ago
YAY! Keep on dancing! :)
linda_centralokzn6
Original Author
17 years ago
I'm a dancin', dancin'!!! No eggs, yet. I worked today, and it rained. But, there will be more coming. Seems like I had mating, and eggs within a week last year. Then I was scurrying around trying to find MORE MILKWEED!!

Well, Mike, if SW Va. was a tad bit closer to Texas, you would have Monarchs earlier, also. If you look at the map, it is a no brainer. For years, I worried about not having nectar. Now, I worry about having milkweed and nectar. I rather enjoy doing the Monarch Waltz- 1,2,3...1,2,3..... :)

Susan, Senna is very slow to come up. It likes warm temps. Give it time. Please let me know when you see growth on your False nettle. I sure hope that mine comes back.

Hey, Lisa. How are you? How are your lil wintersown babies coming. I didn't get around to getting much planted.

If, you saw orange, it was probably a Goatweed leafwing. Susan and I have been seeing quite a few lately. The Monarchs in the spring look NOTHING like they do in the fall. They are drab, and pretty faded yellow in the spring.

A Pearl Crescent? I just love the Pearl crescents!!! Wonder if you're lil guy overwintered on some of your asters? That is their host plant. Do you have asters? I hope to see some soon.

I don't know if the lady from the Daily Okla. is going to do a story on wintersowing in April, or not? I have not heard from her.

Get your BF book back, Lisa, and keep us posted on what you're seeing in your yard. Or, just take some of your wonderful pics, and post for us. We want some pics of your gorgeous spring garden when things begin to bloom. Ok?

Let me know what your schedule is, so that we can have a Garden Party- plant swap at Susan's sometime before it gets too hot. Keep an eye out for the Monarchs, and let us know.

Tdog, I'm still a dancin', dancin'. I'm a dance, dance, dancin' kind of a gal!!! Have a great, safe trip, and take lots of pics. Hubby babysitting the baby?

Woo! Hoo! Look at Okla. now!!! We Rock!!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Monarchs migrating north
windancer379
17 years ago
Wow! I just saw a tiger butterfly today feeding on my plum tree in Joplin, MO! Took a picture of it and sent it to my mom in New Mexico and my friends around here. It was beautiful!
caterwallin
17 years ago
Congrats, Linda! I can tell that you're REALLY REEEEALLY HAPPY! Woo hoo! I hope it's the first of MANY!
Cathy
Lisa_H OK
17 years ago
Linda, I think you are right, I was sure when I looked at it it was a goatweed leafwing. It was so bright, but the underside was so drab. I really wished I had gotten a pic of it.

My wintersown stuff is coming up pretty well, at least what I have sown! I did sow all your seeds and a few others, but I have a lot I haven't done yet. My excitement this year was one of my wintersown hellebores finally bloomed. Hellebores from seed are definitely a lesson in patience!

I have a picture of a spring monarch from last year. I was surprised at the color difference between the spring and the fall.

{{gwi:458458}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Wintersown Hellebore
susanlynne48
17 years ago
Ooh, Lisa, beautiful little hellebore. I bought one a few years back at Horn's. It was in a HUGE 3-gallon pot for $15. Now, with the price of Hellebores back then (they're starting to come down a little) I thought it was a darned good deal.

Is that scabiosa your Monarch is nectaring on? I need to p/u one of them.

Winddancer - my son used to live in Joplin for several years. Now he is in a little town down by Grand Lake. We used to go thru Joplin on our way to Branson, Missouri (way before Silver Dollar City expanded). Anyway, Joplin is a lovely city and the hills around it are so beautiful. I actually grew up in the Independence and Neodesha, Kansas area (if you've ever heard of either of them).

Linda, I keep checking my false nettle, but no sign yet. I think it's pretty hardy, though, so it should be up before long. I have so little for the butterflies to nectar on. This time of year, it's usually shrubs and trees that privide blooms for the butts to nectar on. I need to plant my Amsonia as it should be blooming before long. Also, my catmint. I have dandelions (do they count?), johnny-jump-ups (violets), and henbit - will they do? LOL! Oh, my honeysuckle is blooming, but it will probably appeal more to the moths. My gaillardia is just about to open, too, with tons of blooms on it.

How can we possibly get milkweed this time of year? Most of it doesn't come up this early, even the perennial types. You did the right thing overwintering in the garage, but I don't have an indoor location to overwinter any.

I am, however, ready for the Black Swallowtails - thank goodness Rue leafs out early!

Susan
Lisa_H OK
17 years ago
Susan, yes, I think it is "pink mist" scabiosa, the perennial kind. It gets buried and half the time I think it's dead and gone, but it put on a pretty good show last spring.

Lisa

Woo! Hoo! First Monarch in my yard for season

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