Miner Monarch

I've been trying to get to the Miner Preserve to conduct amphibian, dragonfly, butterfly, and anything else surveys roughly every two weeks, and I was a bit overdue for a walk through the refuge. Once there, I quickly established that the dry weather had evaporated both of Miner's vernal pools, so the major part of my work was done until rains arrived and the Marbled Salamanders came out of hiding to court. In addition to that assessment, I looked for odonates, but, because it was cloudy, I found few in the air; most were hiding in the grasses. The butterflies, however, were more cooperative, and the first of the Monarch butterflies were on the wing and taking advantage of the nectar possibilities of the Joe Pye Weed, the Swamp Milkweed, the various goldenrods, and the last of the New York Ironweeds. I'd seen a Monarch or two on earlier visits, but this time, they were relatively plentiful. I even spotted a mated pair, but they flew into the safety of the treetops when I tried to get a picture. This handsome Monarch was better behaved... at least, for my camera.