Another 30 Pelicans Have Arrived Right On Time.

Well, last year, the pelicans were here on October 12th. About  ten days ago, the core of 17 arrived to stake their claim to the lake. Today, another 30 had arrived over night. I even got a shot of three in flight over the dam. But the bigger news is that after receiving word about a month ago that the Monarch's were in flight over Lake Erie on their migration to Mexico, today, I saw the first one on a milkweed plant covered in honey bees. It was starved for energy-building nectar after a long, long trip this far. Even tons of honey bees could not keep it for dining. They still have about a thousand miles to go yet.

It is also amazing to me that with all the hurricanes in both the Gulf and in the Eastern Pacific off the coast of Mexico, that the butterflies timing is just unbeatable. The Pacific hurricanes south of Baja cut across the central mountains of Mexico and come in over West Texas. Maybe that is why we are on the migration path. It seems they come down right in a valley of air currents. Little frail butterflies on wing all that distance. Amazing. One cold front has passed, the next one is due tomorrow night and will drop the temps some 25 degrees for a couple of days before going back into the upper 80s. October is such a roller-coaster of temperatures here. Not complaining---snow birds!

American White Pelicans here until about mid February

Rest stop for migrating Monarch Butterflies

The honey bees were 50 or more per bush but the butterfly was going to rebuild its strength none-the-less. I saw one bee try to sting the butterfly but he stayed right where it was hanging.

Nature's Flying Stain Glass

Well, every year about this time, give or take a window's week, the Monarch butterfly reaches North Texas from its days of milkweed leaf chomping, it's lush silk-spun chrysalis they encased themselves into in Canada and the Great Lakes before they take flight to winter in Mexico.

I found one spot where there were as many as 7 Monarchs on one plant. The most that I have seen in one place outside of  hundreds in the air overhead.

Plant milkweed in your garden and start watching around Columbus Day for the arrival. First you will see one or two, then a dozen. Look up and you might catch a brief view of one of the waves.
These are the great-great grand children of last years arrivals.