I love finding Monarchs on native Swamp Milkweed at is makes for a pretty colorful scene. Happy to see a handful of them today, including this beautiful female at Carlos Avery State Wildlife Management Area. Anoka County, MN 07/16/22

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I spotted this Monarch Butterfly visiting native Swamp Milkweed only feet off the roadside. When I walked closer and saw it open I realized it was a female lacking the dark spots on the hind wings. Carlos Avery State Wildlife Management Area. Anoka County, MN 07/16/22

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About a week ago, I received a good tip on where to look for a Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly, a species I'd never seen before. After biking 10+ miles earlier in the day, we made a spur of the moment decision to drive to Carlos Avery WMA because I was feeling confident about the tip I received. But upon arrival, neither of us could locate the area we were looking for and we quickly became lost. On our second trip around the gravel roads, we finally found the spot, but there was little butterfly action. I thought maybe I needed to look more closely so I started hiking from a random parking spot back to the area I was told about. We had wasted about 90 minutes by this point and my hopes were fading quickly. Then, in a completely unexpected area of higher ground covered in mostly grass and non-native Hoary Alyssum, I spotted a smaller, mostly black looking butterfly. I jumped up and down trying to signal my wife, who was now driving away from me and heading back to where we originally started. I could hardly believe I had FINALLY found this butterfly, and it was every bit as beautiful and maybe even more than I imagined. It wasn't a perfect specimen, lacking a chunk of its left hindwing, but I was nonetheless thrilled. It gave me some very nice views from both above and below and we were literally the only people in the area the entire time. These kind of observations, where you put in a decent amount of time (this was my 2nd try) and then you finally find your target on your own, are extra rewarding and memorable. Such an amazingly colored and patterned butterfly! And those bright orange antenna clubs look almost like glowing hot metal! Anoka County, MN 07/16/22

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About a week ago, I received a good tip on where to look for a Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly, a species I'd never seen before. After biking 10+ miles earlier in the day, we made a spur of the moment decision to drive to Carlos Avery WMA because I was feeling confident about the tip I received. But upon arrival, neither of us could locate the area we were looking for and we quickly became lost. On our second trip around the gravel roads, we finally found the spot, but there was little butterfly action. I thought maybe I needed to look more closely so I started hiking from a random parking spot back to the area I was told about. We had wasted about 90 minutes by this point and my hopes were fading quickly. Then, in a completely unexpected area of higher ground covered in mostly grass and non-native Hoary Alyssum, I spotted a smaller, mostly black looking butterfly. I jumped up and down trying to signal my wife, who was now driving away from me and heading back to where we originally started. I could hardly believe I had FINALLY found this butterfly, and it was every bit as beautiful and maybe even more than I imagined. It wasn't a perfect specimen, lacking a chunk of its left hindwing, but I was nonetheless thrilled. It gave me some very nice views from both above and below and we were literally the only people in the area the entire time. These kind of observations, where you put in a decent amount of time (this was my 2nd try) and then you finally find your target on your own, are extra rewarding and memorable. Such an amazingly colored and patterned butterfly! And those bright orange antenna clubs look almost like glowing hot metal! Anoka County, MN 07/16/22

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About a week ago, I received a good tip on where to look for a Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly, a species I'd never seen before. After biking 10+ miles earlier in the day, we made a spur of the moment decision to drive to Carlos Avery WMA because I was feeling confident about the tip I received. But upon arrival, neither of us could locate the area we were looking for and we quickly became lost. On our second trip around the gravel roads, we finally found the spot, but there was little butterfly action. I thought maybe I needed to look more closely so I started hiking from a random parking spot back to the area I was told about. We had wasted about 90 minutes by this point and my hopes were fading quickly. Then, in a completely unexpected area of higher ground covered in mostly grass and non-native Hoary Alyssum, I spotted a smaller, mostly black looking butterfly. I jumped up and down trying to signal my wife, who was now driving away from me and heading back to where we originally started. I could hardly believe I had FINALLY found this butterfly, and it was every bit as beautiful and maybe even more than I imagined. It wasn't a perfect specimen, lacking a chunk of its left hindwing, but I was nonetheless thrilled. It gave me some very nice views from both above and below and we were literally the only people in the area the entire time. These kind of observations, where you put in a decent amount of time (this was my 2nd try) and then you finally find your target on your own, are extra rewarding and memorable. Such an amazingly colored and patterned butterfly! And those bright orange antenna clubs look almost like glowing hot metal! Anoka County, MN 07/16/22

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