Still about 6 large larvae munching on regular milkweed this week.Haven’t seen a chrysalis all summer, but have some very fresh looking adults feeding on sunny days — estimating about 15-20.Much fewer than last summer, but my log says they were continuing to hatch out of the chrysalises into early October.My one swamp milkweed (planted this year) didn’t flower and I didn’t see any action. Also no action on my 5-6 butterfly weed plants this year. Last year the caterpillars loved them so much I had to move them to the regular milkweed so the plants wouldn’t be destroyed. 

S

Hi All,
What a beautiful video Judy-amazing it could hold on with that wind.  I have only seen one Monarch up here this season-the milk weed both that I bought and in the field has done very well so I’m hopeful next year will be better.  Even all the purple asters haven’t attracted them here.
But I did have an amazing experience at a friends house last week in Brattleboro.  I saw a band of color off to my side where I was standing.  It landed right in front of me on the lawn and here is this beauty with his/her wings open and looking so perfect.  She had just emerged 4’ away and spent a few minutes on the ground-Wow what a treat to see this.  The black, orange, and white were even more vibrant than in this photo plus her speckled body was so striking.
K

Hi All —I’ve not been very thorough in tracking the handful of caterpillars we’ve had this year, but now we have our first (discovered) J on the north side of the house. My guess is it may not make it, as that wall doesn’t get much sun — just a little very late in the day. But we’ll see. The antennae are starting to wilt, so it may become a chrysalis by nightfall.

S