First Monarch Of The Season Here & Pond Fun.

YIPPEE !! The Monarchs are slowly arriving from their long journey in Mexico . I am a member of the Facebook group Monarchs Migrating Through Ontario where lots of us watch, count ,photograph, post and keep track of them when and where we see them . Some members even raise Monarchs tag and release them and the head of the Facebook group as well as others even follow the Monarchs to Mexico to where they Migrate to , when they leave here in the fall and keep  track of them and the tags through out their journey  . The tagging system  consists of special tiny  tags that have codes on them and they stay on the Monarchs through out its life  the tags do not interfere with the Monarchs flying and do not harm them in any way and are a great way to see how many of them make it back and forth through out the year . There are first and second generations of Monarchs and the members of this group know just by looking at them or even photos . I am learning a lot about Monarchs from this group and find it all very fascinating . Maybe one day I will raise my own Monarchs, tag and set them free once they have matured and are ready to Migrate   .

I had to be quick with the photo as this first sighting this fellow was flitting about not knowing what part of  Lilac he wanted to stop on and I only had my phone camera in hand my Nikon camera was on the patio table and I had no time to go get it lol !

I also saw a Eastern Swallow tail , the first of that species of butterfly for the season as well .

So looks like I will be doing a lot of butterfly watching and photographing over the past few weeks and of course watching and enjoying our birdies ,gardens and working more on our pond garden . Which we had a little visitor in our pond yesterday a little toad , he was soo cute as he swam happily about his new home . Papa placed a few rocks and shale pieces about so little toady could get out of the water and rest in a shaded area . We will be visiting a place not far from us  , it is a huge Water gardens center so we can  get some more ideas and some water plants for our pond and garden,  so that will be a new  adventure for Papa and I  and sun setting all  up .

On the left and right of the pond we will be making smaller gardens on each side as well then eventually build a small waterfall from the back of the middle of the picket fence and have it cascade down to the pond  and we have plans to have water plants on each side of the water fall we just haven't quite set up the blue prints of how and what we will use as waterfalls , there are so many choices out there .

                                                         Lots of fun planning building and then enjoying .

                                                                            Until next time .

                                                                                 Country Gal