 The image above is not photoshopped. This butterfly is on my arm and completely unafraid. The Red Admiral is the most eccentric butterfly that lands in our garden. One of his rare talents is his willingness to land on us and stay awhile! When he landed on my arm a couple days back, I was standing there with my camera ready, arms down. Stephanie had time to get her camera and fiddle with settings. We moved through a series of poses before we settled on this one. (Stephanie said, "Don't look at him. It makes you look cross-eyed") Why is he unafraid? And how does Rick know that the Admiral will tolerate all this jostling? Because this is truly a territorial stand-off, one that has endured through three generations of Red Admiral butterflies, spanning three seasons. In each of three years one individual of this species has returned over numerous days at the same time of day, to the same side of the garden, sat in the same chair, and behaved exactly the same way. Improbable, yes, but the longer I talk the less crazy I will sound. So bear with me. Let's start with some documentary evidence. July 4th, 2020 7:17 PM and July 24th, 2020 7:39 PM Granddaddy Red Admiral is the first to throw the brushback pitches, flying through our hair, and perching assertively. He would alternate between sitting in my chair and in Stephanie's chair.   June 16, 2021 7:47 PM and June 28, 2021 7:07 PM We have to presume it is Grandaddy's offspring. Wouldn't you? Same spot, same place, same modus operandi. It happens so regularly we schedule cocktails around his visits. The Red Admiral, however, never sips from a single flower. He sits and stares, and then divebombs us, and then takes our spot on the chair.   June 17th, 2022 7:22 PM and June 23rd, 2022 7:45 PM Two years is strange, but three? In mid-June, I strolled out one twilight, but without expectation. A third year in a row? Impossible!! But there he was, warming on a stepping stone, before launching himself into the air, too fast for the human eye, and then sticking the landing on -- you guessed it -- the chair. The shot below is a couple days later. I can tell because Stephanie knew to dress up and save a seat for the grandson.   Let's recap the Red Admirals unique qualities: 1: Highly territorial, leading him to buzzbomb people and perch defiantly, ready to take on any competition, presumably for females. We have never seen more than one Admiral at a time, and have always presumed that we have a single returning individual. 2: He is the only twilight butterfly, sometimes staying past dark. Never appears in normal butterfly hours (generally 10-5). 3: In 20 visits, has never tasted nectar in our sight. Literature says Red admirals prefer fermenting tree sap, fruit, and fresh dung to flower nectar. 4: Completely unfazed by people or cameras near him.  5: Never flutters. Takes off and lands vertically, at high speeds, and flies too fast to follow in flight. We hear and feel him as much as we see him. Sticks the landings like Simone Biles. 6: Behavior written up in scientific literature. Or at least a thesis: Territorial behavior of the Red Admiral Butterfly, Vanessa atalanta (L.) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) (But only towards other butterflies! https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/handle/20.500.12876/64076 7: Offspring repeat this behavior year after year, and multiple times within each season. Longest stretch was the first year from the 4th to the 30th of July, in which we saw him at least half of those evenings. which is something because that is about the length of an adult admiral lifespan.  Time to answer the question: Quien es mas macho? There is one clear winner.  No contest. Sorry, Rick. In other garden news, visitor numbers remain way down. But this past week we had three good returnees, an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (dark version), the Diana fritillary, and the Snowberry Clearwing moth.   
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The Smith-Boeth Monarch Waystation was conceived by Rick and Stephanie as a place where Monarchs and other butterflies could find nectar, shelter, and a place to lay their eggs.
The Smith-Boeth Monarch Waystation #24758 is approved by Monarchwatch.org. We are also #189 on the Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail, and Smith-Boeth Monarch Waystation #3175 with the North American Butterfly Association.
To contact Rick or Stephanie, please email us directly at MonteagleMonarchs@ gmail.com |