On Sunday, after three weeks of rain the sun finally shone on Calgary. Returning home westward we were witness to hundreds of butterflies crossing our path and flying north. For the rest of the afternoon these insects made their way towards the meadows of northern Alberta. I would imagine the population measured in tens if not hundreds of thousands.
So who were these visitors and where did they come from?
I thought maybe that the increased temperature occasioned all the butterflys to break free of their chrysalis. So I checked the temperature (20 degrees Celsius/68 Fahrenheit) which was nothing unseasonable. The butterflies were dominantly orange/brown in colour with black and white patches and a little fleck of blue toward the tip of their hindwing. I am no lepidopterist but they seemed reminiscent of the Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) I saw when I was young in Ireland. A quick look on the net reveals their name, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), a close cousin of the Red Admiral.
They migrate from the deserts of Northern Mexico and Arizona up through the US, into Canada and rest just below the arctic circle, feeding on thistles and other flowers.
That these little creatures have been able to fly over 4000kms (2500 miles) truly impressed me.
For more information ...
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/az/225.htm
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2 comments:
As always, beautifully worded, to the point and a pleasure to read.
cheers
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