Butterfly monarchs #phenology

There has been an increase in monarch butterfly sightings over the past few days. Are they late migrants arriving? Indigenous-native-born Minnesotans? Will these be the same generation to head south come Autumn? According to the Monarch Lab at the University of Minnesota, "Once adults, monarchs will live another two to six weeks in the summer. Monarchs that migrate live all winter, or about six to nine months." That would seem to indicate that there will be one to several generations of monarchs born in Minnesota each Summer since "The entire larval stage in monarchs lasts from nine to fourteen days under normal summer temperatures."

[UPDATE: this life cycle description adds some clarification but doesn't resolve all confusion.]

By the way, we've concluded the "monarch eggs" we thought we discovered earlier this week aren't. It's been more than 5 days and the white spots are still just sitting there. Sigh!

August monarchs on Northern Plains  Blazing-star

Photo by J. Harrington

Then again, "This [pupal] stage of development lasts eight to fifteen days under normal summer conditions." So, lets try this:

• egg - 5 days (1 week)
• larva - 14 days (2 weeks)
• chrysalis - 15 days (2 weeks)

Round up and we have 5 weeks development plus 2 to six weeks adult or two or three months in Minnesota. Unless the generation that's born here is the migrating generation that lives 6 to 9 months. We're confused, are you?

This may be a classic example of the kind of trouble one can get into trying to apply linear logic and development to a dynamic, self-organizing, adaptive universe. Back in the days before we became a recovering planner, we learned to give credence to the saying "No amount of planning will ever replace dumb luck."

Aldo Leopold Center

Photo by J. Harrington

Over the past few weeks, we've personally experienced a dollop of that dumb luck. Earlier this year we journeyed with the Better Half down to Baraboo, WI to visit the Aldo Leopold Foundation and the International Crane Foundation. As a follow-up, the Better Half recently signed us up for a writing event next month at the Leopold Center. We did some research on the teacher, a Native American Minnesotan and proceeded to our local, independent book store to order the three books of poetry she's had published. Today we picked them up and started reading. What a treat. We are now even more looking forward to the writing event and hope the results will then show up in improved postings here and, maybe, even a return to the poetry we've drifted away from writing over the past year or so. One of the changes we're already starting to work on is: use our writing to explore questions when we used to research answers and then expostulate them in writing. Wish us luck in our explorations.

Haiku Seasons 

byKimberly Blaeser

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I. Autumn
Hoof prints in soft clay hollowed by fine deer potter still holding the night rain. Downy Woodpecker sidles up shag bark hickory tat-tatting for food. Old country steeple tombstones tumble down the hill side with eternity.
II. Winter
Pine weighted with snow one branch launches white burden springs up down, waving. Juncos line the branch slash marks on the calendar counting days till spring. Yesterday's snowman how soon weeping folds to earth gravity of warmth.
III. Spring
Four fluffed doves plump line on snowy branch tin drip of spring thaw. Language of droplets ping ponging gutter downspouts overheard spring nights. On May's brown plowed earth only swaying black neck stems honking into dusk.
IV. Summer
Thumbnail size tree frogs rise, scatter like popping corn fill my morning walk. Birch limbs over lake leaves shimmer reflected light turn green silver green. Fat pile of puppies tangled in afternoon sun sleep until hungry.
V. Infinity
Many times I glimpse feeding bird or clump of earth one returns my look.

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