If you’ve done any hiking recently, you’ve likely noticed a lot of orange and black butterflies flying about. If you’ve been wondering if the quantity that you are seeing is higher than normal, you would be correct.
Southern Ontario is experiencing what is known as an irruption, a sudden increase in the population of red admiral butterflies. It seems that a wave of these brightly coloured flying insects have arrived from their overwintering grounds in south Texas and Florida. A large migration of this size has not been seen since 1981.
Over the weekend after noticing quite a number in the backyard, I headed down for a walk through the Dundas Valley to see if any photo opportunities presented themselves.
I was not disappointed and soon I was snapping away, trying to capture a few images as these bright butterflies flitted from plant to plant feeding on the nectar of dandelions and other wild plants.
With a wingspan of about 45 to 50 millimeters, Red Admirals are considered mid-size for the butterfly world. They are easy to identify thanks to their striking patterning; the black forewings feature prominent orange bars and white spots.
The undersides of their hindwings are delicately patterned with brown and black, which provide excellent camouflage when they are roosting on tree trunks. They typically seek out stinging nettles to lay their eggs but will feed from a variety of plants.
On this day, we were joined by a pair of turkey vultures, another species that has been seen in abundance this year. This one seemed to watch us with great interest. I wasn’t sure if he was interested in Rosie or was questioning my ability to be able to successfully hike back home. Although rather ugly by bird standards I find these large carrion feeders captivating and enjoy watching them lazily circle overhead.
The incredibly long migration flight of butterflies is truly fascinating and I am looking forward to the return of the monarch’s which are expected to return in the next few weeks.
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I wondered what they were called. We have a lot of them around us too. Great pictures - love your blog!
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