Amazing Sights This Spring

Dear Readers,

So much has been happening this Spring, I hardly know where to begin.  I have really seen some amazing sights this season.  Before I share my experiences, let me mention that I've decided this year to focus on raising as much Milkweed in my yard as I can.  I'm not ruling out the possibility of rearing a few Monarchs this fall, but my primary focus will be on Milkweed.  Interestingly, if you plant Milkweed, the Monarchs will find you.  It's amazing how they sniff it out.

1.  Our first Monarch sighting was on March 8th of this year.  Normally, the Monarchs reach our area between March 1st and 15th each year.  It was such a pleasure to see them return as they are heading back north to Canada.

2.  Just the other day, my children and I had the experience of a lifetime - something I have never witnessed before in the wild.  We were playing in the front yard of our home, when suddenly, what looked like a Monarch butterfly came falling to the ground from a nearby tree.  Upon closer inspection, it was two Monarchs - a male and female.  The male had grabbed the female either in the tree or in midair, and the two fell to the ground together.  I suddenly realized that I was observing a pair of wild Monarchs mating for the first time in my life.  After about a minute or so on the ground, the pair were coupled, and the male suddenly lifted off carrying the female with him.  He flew them to a nearby tree and landed on a branch there so they wouldn't be disturbed.  It was quite a remarkable sight.  I was hoping to get it on videotape, but by the time I got the camera, they were flying away and it was too late.  So, I learned it's important to always have your camera/camcorder nearby when your outside watching nature.  You never know what you might see.

3.  Just yesterday, my family and I took my parents, who are in town visiting from South Carolina, to a nearby state park called Goose Island State Park.  There we took them to see "Big Tree", an enormous giant Texas Live Oak that is over 1,000 years old!  While there, we saw Monarchs traveling through on their way towards Canada.

Well, sorry for this belated post, but those are some of the highlights from this Spring here on the Gulf Coast.

Happy Monarching!


Caleb