It happened this past week. Monarch migration landed in Chicago. Some Monarch butterflies summer in Chicago; others summer as far north as Canada. These tiny, delicate creatures travel up to 3000 miles to winter in warm climates, particularly Mexico. And, more remarkable to me is that the Monarchs that return to Chicagoland next spring are the next generation or even two generations away from the Monarchs in this photo. Their lifespan is short; their inbred genetic learnings are long. True trailblazers. Copyright 2020 Pamela BreitbergHappy on the Tall Boneset, a native perennial to Chicago, a Monarch rests and feeds. Copyright 2020 Pamela BreitbergMonarchs’ feet are able to easily grab and hold onto places, even if the wind blows their resting place. Their feet are sticky so if they land on you perchance their grip might take you by surprise. This Monarch laden clump of Tall Boneset sits inside a prairie area equally abundant with native Goldenrod at the edge of Lincoln Park’s South Pond in Chicago.
