By the end of October most monarchs have migrated to their winter locations. This has been about a six week migration. The Western population breeds west of the Rocky mountains and winters along the California Coast.
The live display in the Phoenix Botanical Gardens is housed in a netted building structure and we are allowed to enter and walk freely among them. They capture one's attention so completely and yet you must be aware of your footsteps and avoid stepping on them. Every one is checked upon leaving for stowaways.
The foreground Monarch is the male of the species. The black dots along the veins indicate this.
This was taken outside the Monarch house and my identification of it is Agraulis Vanillae (Gulf Fritillary)
Other wildlife I saw running around was a rabbit who thought he was hidden. Noisy quail were under bushes and walking underfoot at the snack tables. The cactus wren was closer than any I've seen before. A female House Finch is sitting with faded yellow blossoms.
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