Monarch Butterflies & Birds
Today my family and I went for a walk around the neighborhood, except they did most of the walking. Since I had my bazooka-like camera with me, I took the shortcut while they put in the mileage. It’s a good thing I took the shortcut, because I noticed a bush with many monarch butterflies getting nectar. I was using my 70 to 200mm lens with a doubler attached, giving me up to 400 mm. This first shot was zoomed out to 400mm, but I soon learned that I could walk closer to the bush without scaring off the butterflies. Click HERE for the second day of shooting butterflies.
The photo below was shot with the lens at 280 mm. The butterfly’s colors and patterns are crisp and beautiful.
The monarchs like to winter in Florida, Texas, and Mexico, following the same migration patterns every year. During migration, huge numbers of butterflies can be seen gathered together so thick they blanket areas.
The monarch butterfly is not a tasty snack for natural predators, such as birds, because it is poisonous. The monarch larvae eats milkweed, which is toxic to birds. The monarch’s bright colors announce to predators that its makeup makes them sick when digested.
The photo below is my favorite butterfly picture of the day. Just look at the detail in the antennae and the spots on the head.
I then meandered over to this interesting bush, where some birds were fluttering. This first bird is likely a house sparrow.
This spectacular specimen is the tufted titmouse.
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