2:01 pm: Tagging demo was supposed to start a minute ago.
2:05 pm: Still no start.
2:13 pm: Tagging demo finally underway.
The delay? Well, there were actually two really awesome delays.
1) We saw a sandhill crane from the Hawk Watch platform! So cool! That was a bird for my life list (shhhh don't tell anyone but I think I may have started my progression into becoming a birder…yikes)!
2) A green darner grabbed a Monarch out of the sky and had dragged it to the ground right next to the Hawk Watch platform and was preparing to have a nice little meal. Remember, vertebrates (such as birds) will not eat Monarchs. Monarchs are poisonous due to the cardiac glycosides built up in the bodies from the milkweed consumed during the caterpillar stage. However, invertebrates CAN eat Monarchs. These invertebrates would include praying mantis, spiders and dragonflies! For anyone who is concerned, Louise Zemaitis rescued the Monarch from the green darner before anything too drastic had occurred. We tagged the butterfly and released it, wishing it luck on its journey to Mexico!
The dragonfly had pinned the Monarch and was still trying to figure out how to get close enough to eat the body (wings are not quite as tasty).
Photos by Louise Zemaitis
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