After Releasing Butterflies for Memorial Day

Sighting Butterflies

Two Tiger Swallowtails on the purple blssom.

The common yellow sulfurs aren’t so common

One aims its eyed wings at me as it feeds.

Butterflies are sensitive indicators.

Now there’s six—skippers and a monarch!

If butterflies are disappearing, other wildlife will too.

           

What’s he doing with his net?

Every Monarch on the planet now overwinters in an area of forest no larger than three football fields.

That black swallowtail isn’t supposed to be here.