Rainbow graces the Milwaukee County Grounds and Eschweiler buildings

photo courtesy LuAnn Washburn

Everyone knows the famous maxim of real estate: location, location, location. Well, similarly, the first three rules of photography are “be there, be there, and be there.” I wasn’t there last Friday and so I didn’t see or shoot this magnificent rainbow. LuAnn Washburn, Friend of the Monarch Trail, was there and did. She also saw the largest gathering of butterflies yet this season that same evening. Thank you for sharing these images, LuAnn! One can hope that that rainbow is an auspicious omen and that the Eschweiler buildings it arches over will be saved along with the butterfly habitats necessary to the sustainability of the Wauwatosa stopover.

photo courtesy LuAnn Washburn

I went out this evening to see if the catch would be repeatable. Of course, it wasn't the same, but the County Grounds rarely disappoints.

The sunset was suitably flaming and I found yet another praying mantis who wanted to pose for me - a brown variety this time. Without moving any other part of its body, it kept swiveling its head to follow my movements as I set up my tripod and framed several shots. I was fortunate that it held so still. I needed a two second shutter speed. Here’s another rule of photography: bring extra batteries for your flash. I didn’t get butterfly shots this evening because mine were dead. The butterflies were there, along with many Friends of the Monarch Trail. Once again I saw friends there, some who were making return visits and some who were there for the first time. If you haven't been, please come out. You too will become a friend of the monarchs.

Just how many legs does this guy have anyway?

For more info about the Monarch Trail go to http://www.monarchtrail.com/

If you missed my last post, click here (or simply scroll down!)

Milwaukee County Grounds update: the Monarch Trail is aflutter!

Last evening, as I pulled into the Parks Administration building’s parking lot and drove to the back corner, there were over a dozen cars already lined up along the edge closest to the beginning of the Monarch Trail. The word must be out!

I took the short cut across the open field, cleared for UWM’s planned developments there. I walked through the knee-high clover and grasses towards the Eschweiler buildings and the inviting stands of trees around them. The sun had disappeared behind a huge thunderhead that seemed poised to expand across the whole sky and glowed red around its edges. I saw people strolling along the Trail atop the berms adjacent to Swan Blvd.

As I neared the Eschweiler campus I caught up with LuAnn, one of the Monarch Trail regulars, and her niece Kailey. They led me to a small group of Milkweed in front of the main administration building where they’d seen a praying mantis before. Sure enough, there it was. Kailey scooped it up gently and it skittered nervously up her arm. She put it back onto the nearest Milkweed where it quickly scuttled under a leaf and clung there as the plant bobbed in the breeze.

[Click on images to enlarge.]


Barb Agnew, the director of the Monarch Trail saw us and called to come see, quick! She was near the giant sycamore tree that the Monarchs favor. She was excited because there were several clumps of butterflies already roosting in the lower branches of the box elders surrounding the sycamore. There were also six or seven people treading carefully among the tall grasses and raspberry bushes on the well worn paths to see them.

I was surprised and delighted to see my friends Joyce and Darthe with their two furry dogs, who told me that this was their first trip out to the Trail. I told them how lucky they were to come on such an auspicious night. More butterflies fluttered in by the minute now that the sun was down and the light dimming quickly. As each new Monarch flew up to a branch laden with already resting ones, the whole clump would startle, opening their wings briefly before settling back into roosting posture. It was a marvelous sight.

A warm wind blew in from the south and west in gusts cutting the humidity and keeping down the mosquitoes. The perfect evening to view the migration, I thought. Barb looked at me even more excitedly and said “No, no! These are local butterflies. The migration hasn’t reached here yet. This is going to be a very good year!”

As it darkened and we began to leave, Kailey show up again with a second mantis. This one posed like a debutante for the photographers, as you can see.

For my previous post on the recent Monarch Trail sunset/moonrise celebration, click here.

For more pictures of the County Grounds, click here.