Monarchs, On the Move!

I visited the Arboretum in mid-day with a friend, for a change. And as we strolled through the pollinator garden, a cloud of orange wings lifted around us. We spotted about a dozen monarchs in all, perhaps the biggest group of monarchs I've ever seen! It was awesome!

So we stopped and had a good, long look at them, and I took pictures, as they swirled around us, flittering here and there, taking long drinks from the pinky-purple blooms. It's hard to believe how far monarchs can fly, but they do travel hundreds of miles in their journeys. The ones we saw may have been born locally; then again, they may be just passing through.

Bonus link: monarch butterfly facts.

The soundtrack: Leonard Cohen, Passing Through.

P.S. I posted TWO blips today to catch up, and both of them feature monarch butterflies! Here is a link to the other one.