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http://www.durgan.org/URL/?OUJDC 14 July 2010 Monarch Butterfly

This is the first Monarch Butterfly seen this year. I grow some milkweed plants since this is the only plant on which the Monarch will lay eggs. Apparently the butterfly is scarce this year, so seeing one was a pleasant surprise.

They are rampant here in Scotland, our version is called Monarch of the Glen.

Yep, there are regularly 7 or 8 of these on my brassicas and salad leaves every day - in fact, one almost got put in the fridge yesterday. Beautiful creatures, although I admit that I have confused them with the Red Admiral.

I have even seen a few Peacock butterflies recently, though not in the garden.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?DFWFT 14 July 2010 Monarch Butterfly

Compare this butterfly to the Red Admiral.
http://www.durgan.org/URL/?OUJDC 14 July 2010 Red Admiral Butterfly. The heading is mis-named.

After mis-identifying the Monarch, while walking to my shed I found a dead Monarch. This was most astonishing, maybe because I had Monarchs on my brain. A comments poster corrected me.

The Monarch is beautiful and I've only seen it on the telly. I don't know if it comes to Europe, must go and have a look!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_(butterfly)

Occasional migrant to western Europe but probably not something we are going to be seeing in our lifetimes. Unless we go to North America or the Canary Islands.