The Monarch butterfly is also known as The Milkweed butterfly. The caterpillars of this spectacular butterfly feed on the milkweed plant, which is not found in the U.K. and so this remains an extremely rare visitor to our shores. Thankfully, this `flutter` is resident on the Canary Islands (except Lanzarote) and so, on my recent holiday there the skies were full of them.
Neither myself, or Lisa have ever seen these butterflies `in the flesh`, so to speak, and so we were completely taken aback at how big they are. The first one we saw I mistook for a small bird flying from a bird of paradise plant, how wrong I was.
In the Canary Islands this butterfly is polyvoltine, that is to say it has multiple flight periods and is continuously brooded, in fact, both the butterfly and the caterpillar is recorded in every month of the year.
What a stunner!
Thanks for sharing your wonderful images John.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen a Monarch and it's only during the last couple of years that I have realised we only have just under 60 butterflies in the UK. I now need to see them all.
A beauty isn't he. It would be nice to have them here. Brilliant photos.
ReplyDeleteHI John...I am excited ,and you sure sound excited that you got to see the Monarch...beauties aren't they !!
ReplyDeleteThey are a good size...I can pick one out across a field!!
Wonderful shots you got...and a belated Happy Bithday..lucky you to go on a trip!!
Grace
The milkweed was a wonderful feature of my childhood. I was so pleased to find it can be found where I live now, as well. I'd forgotten the monarch was also known as the milkweed butterfly, but now that I think back, my most recent photos of the monarch are of it landing on a milkweed plant.
ReplyDeleteThey are really striking butterflies, I didn't realise they were on the Canaries. Lovely set of pics John.
ReplyDeleteHi John great series of photos , i was lucky enough to see a Monarch on Scillies quite a few years ago and the memory of it still stays with me today .
ReplyDeleteI think I know where they got the idea for the design of Tiffany lamps!
ReplyDeleteClick here for Bazza’s Blog ‘To Discover Ice’
Well you got some really beautiful images of it John.
ReplyDeleteSomething to treasure.
Must be great to see this butterfly John. great set of pictures.
ReplyDeleteThanks Andrew,
ReplyDeleteYes, only 60, but very difficult to see all of them! I have yet to see half, mind you, I have only recently started actively going out looking for the different species!
J
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteThankyou. It would be nice to have the Monarch in Britain, who knows, with climate change the milkweed plant may be able to grow here and so give the caterpillars something to feed on. You never know!
J
Hi Grace,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the birthday wishes. I was very lucky and am very lucky to have such an amazing wife!
I was chuffed to bits to see this stunning butterfly!
J
Hi Susan,
ReplyDeleteYou are lucky having such an amazing `flutter` in your back yard! Maybe one day they will move to the U.K.!
J
Hi Alan,
ReplyDeleteThankyou. I didn`t realise they were native to the Canaries either, you live and learn! ;)
J
Hi Rob,
ReplyDeleteThankyou. The memories of these Canary Monarchs will stay with me for a while as well!
J
Hi Bazza,
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean! Nature is far better at design than we can ever hope to be!
J
Hi Roy,
ReplyDeleteThankyou, yes something to remember on the cold winter nights ahead of us!
J
Hi Mike,
ReplyDeleteThankyou. Yes, a truly stunning butterfly.
J