Thickson's Woods & Near Cranberry Marsh -- September 20th, 2011

A couple of us went out today to see if the Monarchs were about and maybe find something else too. We didn't find much at Thickson's... some Goldenrod with nice light and some fungus was about all I saw.

 

Not seeing much at Thickson's, we headed over to Cranberry to see if the Monarchs were in the large Goldenrod field. We saw a few dozen.

Some of Mother Nature's late summer color.

The field of Goldenrod near Cranberry Marsh has been this year's Monarch hotspot.. for me at least.

The next few shots aren't the best of the Monarchs themselves but they do show the legs & antennae & proboscis.

It's always nice to see something different, even if it is amongst the clutter. I think this is a Pearl Crescent... they only have a wing span of about an inch. It was long gone before I could try for a better shot.

I think toads figure that if they sit still they'll be safe, even if the background isn't their color. Too bad more Monarchs didn't think that way. When we left he still hadn't moved.

Soon the Monarchs will be on their way to Mexico and the toad will be buried under some mud or leaf litter somewhere for the winter. It's another of nature's marvels to me that toads can produce antifreeze-like fluid in their bodies so they won't freeze to death in winter.

- fini -