I saw my first monarch of the year on July 19th, along the bike path behind Parliament Hill. It was nectaring on some Common Milkweed near the water; the milkweed here is sparse, more of a weed than the product of some landscaper’s design, and I wouldn’t have thought there was enough present to attract this iconic butterfly. I also saw a Great-spangled Fritillary nectaring on the milkweed as well, so clearly something about this tiny strip of green space between Parliament and the river is inviting to butterflies.
Monarch Butterfly (taken with my cell phone)
The Pathless Wood 