More Monarchs today! 7 so far...

I shuffled out into the garage this morning with my coffee to see if any new Monarchs had arrived. I was stunned to see 5 already! (ok, I don't get up that early).  I noticed they weren't ready to go outside, so I let them be for about an hour.  I went back out and there were 7!   The first 5 were stretching their wings. I tried to get some pics but it's just too dark in the garage even with the lights on when they are on the window side.

These two are the youngest today. Can you see the one in the back corner? That corner was very popular this year!

Showing off !

So I took the ones that were stretching out to sit in the bush and warm up. They will sometimes stay there for a couple hours before they are ready to fly. UNLESS they are a girl! I don't know why,but the girls are very jumpy. This turned out to be 4 boys and 1 girl.
Can you find 4 of them on the bush?

Here is a closeup of one of the boys , warming up.

And this is the girl. She would NOT stay on the bush, flittered off and landed in the grass. I tried to get her but she  made it to the arborvitae by the road.  NOT ready to fly, but try to tell HER that!!

I did get her to sit on my finger and headed back to the "warming" bush.

Just as I got there.... well, of course, she's off again! I didn't find her after this, but I don't think she went far.  Monarchs are nearly invisible when they hang with their wings folded.

Here is one of her brothers, showing off the dots on the lower wings. Only the boys get those!

Still two more to release, they were later so I will leave them until after noon.

Back to the iris work!