October 14, 2010 - Migrating monarchs are on the moveW OCTOBER 14, 2010
Migrating monarchs
are on the move
rsaroara ana i are sitting out in tie
orchard in the sunshine and one of
those noisy helicopters just went
over. As the noise passed and things
got back to normal, we noticed three
monarch butterflies dancing by along
the fence, heading south on their fall
migration. What remarkable insects
they are. Weighing a bit more than a
feather, these fragile little insects fly
through storms and rains like those
we've been having lately.
What draws them here to our garder.
are the butterfly bushes we put in year
ago, and they really work. There is a
pleasant smell to them, something like
a lilac bush. Sometimes we'll have five
or six butterflies at a time flitting about
the bushes gathering nectar from the
variety of colorful blossoms.
We have some concern about the
area where the monarchs are going
as they pass by on their long jour-
ney that will eventually wind up in
Mexico. Loss of habitat and other
pressures over the years have broughl
their population down to an all -time
FOCUS ON NATURE
w. With help from interested orga-
zations, it is hoped this area will be
,_ll protected in the future.
The monarchs are the only but -
rflies to make such a long two -way
igration every year. Though they
ually fly alone, they will cluster at
ght while moving southward. We
messed this while working at the
.e Island Seashore, where hundreds
these colorful butterflies made a
OF, "1114 "1 , "I'M
I BARBARA STOUTENBURGH PHO'
This beautiful monarch butterfly, with its striking orange and black markings, stops
refuel on its long and treacherous journey south. One way you can attract butterflies
all sorts is by planting butterfly bushes in your garden.
p one night on a cedar tree near
sere we were living. I was up early
next morning to watch as they
wly woke in the morning sun and
[tined their wings to ready them -
ives for the long journey ahead.
hat a magnificent sight it was —
te I will always remember.
We see others in our back pasture
at are starting to make their way
i their migration south. A Cooper's
twk just flew over and landed on a
nb high in the old cherry tree. WhE
ullb iuuuw is arouna everyone seeks
shelter. One bird must have missed
seeing the hawk in time and provide
the hawk with a meal, as evidenced
later by the clump of feathers below
where the hawk landed.
This migration we speak of is all
part of the cycle that moves out of
the cold and into warmer parts of the
world. Some will go just as far as the
warmer southern states, while others
will continue on, some going even as
far as the Caribbean. Some — like the
little hummingbird that visited us just
last week — will, believe it or not, fly
nonstop across the Caribbean on the
way far south; remarkable endurance
for such a fragile little bird. The ruby -
throated hummingbirds that we see in
our area are usually by themselves anc
make the long flights south alone.
When we first came down into the
pasture a mockingbird was guarding
'is supply of Russian olive. He will
-hallenge any bird that comes into his
irea with the idea of having a feast of
)erries. Each community has its own
mockingbird. When we go down to the
;ausewav to take a walk nn the hpnrh
awe hear the lapping of the waves,
in the background we can hear the
mockingbird singing his heart out. It
would be wonderful if more people
could see and hear this bird, for it has
an enormous repertoire of songs.
As we get up to head back to the
house something catches my eye — a
little bird has flown up on the fence. It's
a little flycatcher. It will stay here as long
as there are insects in the air. It waits
patiently for some movement on the
ground, goes after it and then lights bacl
up on the fence to wait for a passing
insect that it can snatch out of the air.
It stays here quite ate m e
season, but eventually it will have
to leave when it turns cold because
there will be no insects moving.
It's surprising how long it will stick
around. We have seen a single in-
dividual that has been able to find
insects to catch into November, when
ice has covered the pond. Somehow
it can find a spot where warmth still
breeds insects.
As we leave the garden and head for
the house we can see hundreds of star-
lings have come to pick over the leaves
that have started to cover our lawn.
I've seen this phenomenon of turning
over leaves with other birds, such as the
grackle, as they pass through. Evidently
this activity is part of their fattening up
before they leave on their long migra-
tion south. This group of birds arrived
on the lawn and quickly moved across
it, much like a Panzer division, and
then they were gone.
This yellow- and - black- striped caterpillar
(above) of the monarch butterfly feeds
exclusively on the leaves of the milkweed
plant, where the female lays her eggs. As
the caterpillar feeds and grows, it sheds it
skin five times before changing into the
chrysalis stage (below).
�Ueautitul jade green shell with a crown of
gold. Just before it is ready to open, the
shell becomes transparent and the colors
of the butterfly can be seen.
SOUTHOLD
Butterflies are free
Butterflies are truly wonders of
nature as Mr. Stoutenburgh writes
(Migrating monarchs are on the
move, Oct. 14). His article is excel-
lent and points to some varieties
in types of butterflies, plants and
Butterflies have been called "mag-
ic in motion" by certain authors
and as Mr. Stoutenburgh states they
are truly remarkable as they dance
along. They are drawn to our homes
and gardens by the nectar -rich
plants that they so love. It is not just
the monarch that flits and dances
here in Southold Town but frittaries,
swallowtails, skippers, sulphurs and
many more species of the group of
insects called Lepidoptera.
Other species do migrate south
each year, not just the monarch.
Red admirals, viceroys and Ameri-
can ladies also migrate to avoid the
freezing temperatures of the north.
We attract the monarch primar-
ily with the plants of the milkweed
variety, which includes the butterfly
bush, but also includes other variet-
ies from the asclepias plants known
as the buttery weed. These plants are
of the lilac family and emit a similar
aroma, as Mr. Stoutenburgh says.
Other plants,. such as aster, bee
balm, coneflower, daisy and lupine,
act as attractors to other species
of butterflies. If we keep to native
plants, we will entice not only but-
terflies but all sorts of other winged
creatures, many of which are often
mentioned in "Focus on Nature."
I hope everyone will plant a few
of these,native plants so the natural
process. that draws butterflies to
us all summer long will continue
to increase and improve our own .
habitat.
Joel Reitman
Mr. Reitman is a master gardener.
Joel,
In reading last week's Suffolk Times we ran across
your letter to the editor "Butterflies are free" and were
pleasantly surprised.
Thanks for your kind words and for adding more
to the readers' knowledge of our mutual fondness for
butterflies.
We are headed off to Florida for the winter
months where we can continue to enjoy the warm
,,outdoors and write and photograph.
Thanks again and enjoy your winter. We'll be back
in the spring,
Paul Stoutenburgh