Magnificent Monarchs

Today I returned to the tree where I saw Monarchs over-wintering last week. It is fascinating to see them in the trees, some hanging with their wings folded, and some fluttering around in the winter sun.

Last week there were dozens of them, but there seem to have been some casualties, with the intervening rain and snow in Christchurch.

They may not migrate thousands of kilometres like their North American cousins, but a tagging programme in New Zealand recorded one Monarch that had flown 400km in three weeks.