October 2020 – A week ago, I was walking outside after 10 AM when I saw what I suspected to be a new Monarch Butterfly. The butterfly flew close to the ground and couldn’t gain any height. It was 57 degrees F, and the butterfly can not fly when it is colder than 55 degrees F. I was surprised to see a Monarch Butterfly this late in the season, being mid-October. The butterfly starts to migrate to Mexico in mid-September to October.
The migration time is what has me stumped. Why is this Monarch Butterfly so late? To my surprise, I saw the female Monarch Butterfly again, October 22, 2020. She was sipping nectar on Marigolds in the Patio Garden, behind the Embury Cafe. I hope you will wish the Monarch Butterfly a safe trip even if she only makes it south to a warmer climate. Let us hope she has enough time to escape before it gets too cold to fly.