Cape May Point ~ Monarch Roosts

I was over to Cape May Point this AM both to see warblers and butterflies.  On my trip around the state park I met a new friend from Ocean County who's from Ocean County.  We chatted about monarch's and I gave the suggestion she try St Pete's beach crossover late in the day from roosts.  I went over at about 10:30AM and there was already a small roost.  I went back at 5PM and there were 2 roosts - one at St Beach's Beach crossover and one at Cape and Lincoln beach crossover.  While there I ran into Maria again and we checked out all of the roosts.

 

 

Cape May Point Beach ~ Sunset

 

Beth's Patch ~ Gardens

  It's that time of year where Monarch's start to migrate to Mexico, some southern butterfly strays are coming up from the south to spend a while with us before the butterfly season is over and the Ruby-throated hummingbirds are here fighting amongst themselves before heading south for the winter.  There's plenty of nectar for all but even the skippers will chase the hummingbirds away from the flowers.

Guess the top monarch is too ragged to fly south

Will this Monarch make it to Mexico?  I have my doubts.

Brazilian Skipper

Brazilian Skipper

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

 

Beth's Patch ~ Sleepy Orange Butterfly

  This year has been exciting because the Sleepy Orange butterfly arrived in my yard in late August.  It's the first year that they have actually hung around and laid eggs on the Cassia given to me by Jim  D last year. And since then they have completed their lifecycle here in my yard.  This is the 14th species to complete their lifecycle in my yard.

Sleepy Orange Butterfly laying eggs

Sleepy Orange Butterfly laying eggs

Sleepy Orange Butterfly laying eggs

Sulphur species eggs - Both Cloudless Sulphur butterfly and Sleepy Orange butterfly eggs

Sleepy Orange caterpillar

Sleepy Orange Butterfly metamorphosis

Sleepy Orange Butterfly metamorphosis

Sleepy Orange Butterfly metamorphosis to chrysalis

Sleepy Orange Butterfly metamorphosis to chrysalis 24 hr later

Sleepy Orange Butterfly chrysalis 72 hrs later

Sleepy Orange chrysalis 10:30 AM with the butterfly almost ready to eclose. 3 hours later this Sleepy Orange butterfly was out and waiting for the wings to dry before flying off. So fun to see. Also, this butterfly was dime-sized with the wings closed when I came back after lunch and was still pumping up the wings.

Sleepy Orange just before eclosing

Sleepy Orange butterfly just after eclosing

Cape May County, NJ ~ Chinese Praying Mantis

 Chinese Praying Mantis laying egg sack

Wetlands Institute & Nummy Island, Stone Harbor, NJ

Yellowlegs

Yellowlegs

Tri-colored Heron

Tri-colored Heron

Great Egret

Great and Snowy Egrets, young White Ibis

Great and Snowy Egrets, young White Ibis

Snowy Egrets

 

Beth's Patch ~ Keeping Watch

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

 

Quilting ~ Fabric Postcard ~ Orange Swap

Made by me

Made by Carin

Made by Nancie

 

Beth's Patch ~ Carolina Wren

 

Beth's Patch ~ Black Swallowtail Butterfly

 It's amazing how much wing a butterfly can lose and still fly and do their job. This Black Swallowtail female was laying eggs on the Rue. You can see the other egg she laid on the leaf above. She was definitely impaired in her flying.

Beth's Patch ~ Autumn Joy Sedum And Pollinators

 Autumn Joy Sedum is a "chocolate cake" to the butterflies & bugs when blooming in the fall. It can get tall, leggy and fall over so I cut mine back twice during the summer so it gets bushier and stays more compact. Sedum loves full sun but can also take partial shade. It's so worth it to have in your gardens. And if you knock a branch off just stick it into the ground where it'll root itself

Sachem Skippers

Gray Hairstreak

Summer Azure

Summer Azure (top left) and Eastern-tailed Blue (bottom right)

Crab Spider waiting to take an unsuspecting butterfly

American Lady

Painted Ladies and Common Buckeyes

Native Honey Bee

Milkweed Bug