the amazing Monarch Butterfly Migration

I've never actually seen a group of migrating monarchs (except at the Butterfly exhibits at museums.) But I think they are particularly amazing and beautiful, so I wanted to learn more about their migration to South America every fall. Below is a piece I made using a Monarch I saw last weekend in Maine. I used a  digital texture by irisb and my photo, then added the words.

I had no idea that come Autumn, monarch butterflies actually fly 2500 miles to their desired, warmer locations...or that there are two places they regularly migrate to every year like clockwork.  And they also go into a type of relaxed state, a hibernation of sorts. What a beautiful life..wish I could leave for the winter for the beautiful California coast, too.

I'd like to share here some of the amazing photography from Flickr photographers showing the migrating Monarch...see below for credit and link to their large-sized photo on Flickr.

1. Monarchs in motion, 2. Monarch Migration, 3. Natural Bridges Monarchs #2 - Santa Cruz, California, 4. Monarch Butterflies Galore

If you love butterflies, dragonflies and the like, you'd love my friend Caitlin's artwork. She sells her affordable work in her Etsy shop The Paper Butterfly and her blog is an amazing journey through the Ottawa wilderness. Her latest adventure? Raising swallowtail butterflies. Read all about it on her blog.

With all that work these little guys do, it makes Mondays seem a little more palatable, doesn't it? You can learn more about their amazing journey here and see a little map here. Enjoy!