Winter Monarch

If this seems an unusual sight for Schenectady in the middle of winter, you're right!  The Schenectady Museum (now called MiSci) has built a butterfly house.  We went late in the afternoon, and we had the room to ourselves and the docent.  I could hear the butterflies flapping their wings as they went by.  In the winter!  These beauties would normally overwinter in Mexico or California, but we have some enjoying the nice weather inside the museum.

F Number	5.6
Lens ID	LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm F3.5-5.6
Focal Length	45.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 90.0 mm)
Exposure Time	1/25
Exposure Program	Manual
ISO	800
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Monarch butterfly

I cropped this one to enhance the butterfly among the grape leaves.  It's amazing to think that this fragile looking creature flew all the way from Mexico, but they do it.

Lens	Minolta MD 50mm f1.4
F Number	5.6
Focal Length	50.0 mm
Exposure Time	1/200
Exposure Program	Aperture-priority AE
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

No flowers here

This is what most of the lawns look like now that we've been hot and dry for more than a month.  I hope this monarch butterfly finds some food for its migration!

Lens	Minolta MD 50mm f1.4
F Number	4.0
Focal Length	50.0 mm
Exposure Time	1/250
Exposure Program	Aperture-priority AE
ISO	100
Exposure Compensation	0
Flash	Off, Did not fire

Monarch butterfly caterpillar

My wife keeps some milkweed around because Monarch Butterflies like to eat them. This is one of the caterpillars, moving around a milkweed leaf. Head is at the left.