Saturday, March 14, 2009

Butterfly Launch Day?

When I was out driving today, I noticed a lot of small objects dive-bombing through the air. Too small for hummingbirds ... too big for mosquitoes ... yes, they were little butterflies, flitting down the road, narrowly missing my windshield.

I remember noticing this phenomenon last spring. It might have lasted about a week. But I swear, they weren't there yesterday!

The butterflies seem to come in little flurries -- or is it flocks? packs? gaggles? -- of about ten or so. At a guess, I'd say I was passing through at least a hundred butterflies per mile.

But where do they all go? If we had this many full-size butterflies veering through traffic, it would get pretty tough to see. It seemed like they might be traveling east. So is Victorville some kind of butterfly commuting hub?

3 comments:

Stephanie Newton said...

The monarchs come through here on their way to Mexico, I think. We have tons of them late summer and fall. Right now I don't have butterflies, but there are a bajillion tadpoles in the pond behind the house that will be singing frogs in a few weeks! :)

Anonymous said...

monarchs come through here, OK, later in the year. I seem to remember them last year when visiting my m-i-l in St. Louis, April, maybe. Aren't butterflies angels?!

Sierra Donovan said...

Yes, and their arrival that Saturday a couple of weeks ago was really striking! I think that must have been the very day they hatched, or took wing. I've seen some scattered here and there since, but not in such masses.

And they're getting bigger. I think they probably are monarchs. They flit by so quickly it's hard to tell -- especially while driving! -- but even when they were smaller, they seemed to have a red/orangish tint.