Wordless Wednesday – allow your photo(s) to tell the story.
Linda Schaub
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Linda Schaub
- Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal (and a pal) partake of peanuts at the Park. #Wordless Wednesday #A favorite vintage ornament.
- Lean, mean and green.
- Which way is Santa Claus? #Wordless Wednesday #Remember those days?
- When there’s wicked wind, wildflowers and …
- Before and after a cup of Joe. #Wordless Wednesday #Sadly, we don’t ALL rise and shine!
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FIFTY FAVORITE PARK PHOTOS
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- Parker noshin’ nuts
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- Fox Squirrel
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- Black Squirrel
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- Parker, my Park cutie!
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- Pekin Duck
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- Mallard Hybrid Duck
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- Midnight munchin’ nuts
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- Mute Swan
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- Goslings
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- Mama Robin
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- Seagulls on ice floe
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- Great Blue Heron
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- Parker chowin’ down
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- Mallard Duck
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- Northern Cardinal
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- Great Blue Heron (“Harry”) fishing for shad
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- Parker: shameless begging
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- Viceroy Butterfly
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- Great Blue Heron
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- American Goldfinch
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- Seagull
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- Robin baby (not fledged yet)
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- Mallard Ducks
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- Robins almost ready to fledge
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- Parker angling for peanuts
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- Robin fledgling
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- Parker making a point that he wants peanuts
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- Parker smells peanuts
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- Parker with a peanut
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- Red-Winged Blackbird
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- Seagull
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- Red-Bellied Woodpecker
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- Pekin Duck
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- Starling
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- Canada Geese family
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- Canada Goose and goslings
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- Red-Winged Blackbird
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- Parker says candy is dandy.
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- Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
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- American Goldfinch
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- Hunny Bunny
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- Parker looking for peanuts
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- The pier just past sunrise
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- Mute Swan
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- Parker in the snow
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- Parker and a treat
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- Great Blue Heron
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- Me and my shadow (a/k/a Parker)
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- Fox Squirrel
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- Seagull
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- Canada Goose
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- Mallard Ducks
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- Mute Swan
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- Fox Squirrel – Parker
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- Northern Cardinal
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BADGES
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- 02-02-2018
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- 03-13-2018
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- 03-25-2018
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- 03-26-2018
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- Year #6!! 02/2019
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- 04-13-2019
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- 11-21-19
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WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Monarch or Wanderer?
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Funny you wrote “wanderer” Brian because the Monarch is the butterfly that migrates and the Viceroy does not. The Monarch is a larger butterfly and the Viceroy has a distinct black line running horizontally on its hind wings.
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They are called Wanderers here Linda
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Okay, now I get it Brian as to “Wanderers”. I just Googled and saw them. I read that they do migrate, just like ours – have you ever seen a flurry of them in a migration? I’ve only seen a small group of them migrating and they all alighted on one bush at the Park. I was marveling at them and didn’t pull the camera out of the pouch right away and they moved on – I got photos of a few of them, but not enough to include in a post as they were blurry.
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No big amounts just a few. I have one around my garden at the moment
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I see – now I thought our Monarchs were probably unique to North America and to where they migrate in the Winter. They have cousins! Ours are long gone, but could have stayed here since we currently have a heat wave, another record-breaking day at 78F/25C.
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Thank you for the Halloween card — creepy and cute at the same time. 🎃 I wonder how often I might have confused viceroys and monarchs? But they’re both perfectly colored for the spooky holiday!
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You’re welcome Barbara … I try to match the e-card to my post and that was difficult for this post, so I picked a card that had “flying creatures” – even though the music was a bit creepy wasn’t it? I am sure I saw orange and black butterflies with white polka dots for years and never knew, then I took one of the interpretive walks at Lake Erie Metropark and I was taking a photo of a Viceroy and the guide said “you do know that’s a Viceroy and not a Monarch don’t you?” So he explained how to tell them apart: Viceroys have a black line running along their hindwings and Monarchs do not. Viceroys are smaller butterflies and they don’t migrate, but form a cocoon and overwinter, emerging in Spring before the Monarchs return. I was tempted to use a screenshot to relay that info.
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The music was approriately creepy, perfect for the spooky holiday. 🎃 I can see the difference between viceroys and monarchs now that it’s been pointed out to me.
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Yes, spooky music for a spooky holiday. Our winds have been howling at 35-40 mph all afternoon and we’re supposed to be getting a thunderstorm this evening. Not great weather for the trick-or-treaters. Once you see it, you’ll wonder how you didn’t notice it before!
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Did you get any trick-or-treaters? That windy weather sounds spooky, too.
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The wind was spooky and it was windy again today, the fourth day in a row! We were not expecting rain today and while I was out it rained. Yesterday, for Halloween, we were supposed to have a raucous thunderstorm right around prime time for trick-or-treaters … we never got a drop. I give up understanding the weather! No, there were not very many kids in our neighborhood and that’s because in our City’s Facebook Neighborhood Forum, people now post their address and what type of candy (usually chocolate) they are handing out, to lure the kids to their house. One woman said she had 4,000 candy items to hand out and people tout their full-size candy bars, “Grab-N-Go” sized packages of M&Ms and other wonderful treats, so all the kids head there now, sometimes driven around by their parents. I was kind of surprised at people giving that much away since I just heard that chocolate has never been more expensive – ever! Did you have lots of kids at your door or were you spending Halloween with the grandkids in your cute costumes?
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We spent the evening on the grandkids’ porch, handing out candy to all the adorable kids who came by for candy while ours were off making the rounds. They live in a cohousing community so everybody knows each other and it was loads of fun. They had their porch very decorated with webs and spiders and orange lights, and even had a rat sitting on the candy cauldron.
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That sounds like a fun time Barbara, like when we were young and went out trick-or-treating and only did the immediate block and knew everyone. I like the idea of the cohousing community and knowing everyone, so no worries going from door to door. I am noticing here more and more that churches and cities are having trunk-or-treat events. Our City did that a couple of weeks ago – kids went to the community center in costume and there were booths for them to get treats from. In Detroit the many police precincts compete against one another for best candy given out and encourage the parents to just take the kids from one precinct to another … something different, but safe. Were the kids timid about reaching for candy with the rat on top?
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Nobody was timid about reaching for candy with the rat sitting there, except for one very tiny toddler. His sibling got the candy for him. 🙂
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That’s good the kids were not scaredy-cats!
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I don’t know the difference.
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Anne, I took an interpretive walk at Lake Erie Metropark and learned this info. The Viceroy has a horizontal black line running across its hindwings and also is smaller than a Monarch.
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wow! These are stunning! And no, I don’t know the difference!
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Thank you Dawn! They are both beautiful butterflies aren’t they? Lake Erie Metropark had an interpretive walk awhile back and a Viceroy flitted by, so the guide gave us this info: the Viceroy has a horizontal black line running across its hindwings and also is smaller than a Monarch. There are other characteristics like Monarchs fly more gracefully while Viceroys fly with choppy movements and Viceroys do not migrate, but overwinter in a cocoon.
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Beautiful photography, Linda. Yes, I do know the difference. But when I see either one I love them both!! 🥰
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Thank you TD! It’s great you knew the difference. I took an interpretive walk at Lake Erie Metropark and was going to take a photo of what I called a Monarch and was corrected by the guide that it was a Viceroy. They look similar until someone points out the difference, then it is obvious. For us, our Viceroys overwinter, while the Monarchs migrate.
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It’s great that you took a walk with a guide! We learned so much more than on our own.
I found the Halloween card after Barbara mentioned it. I absolutely love receiving those cards!
Just wanted to let you know that Yorkie is feeling back to her good spirits again and is eating without me having to hand feed her. She wouldn’t eat for 2-3 full days her stomach was very sick. Hoping your weekend goes well. ❤️
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I really like those interpretive walks TD. I took several guided walks and also two boat trips (each lasting two hours) after I got my first Metroparks pass in 2018. They stopped having the tours for a while during the pandemic and finally resumed them, but not the boat trips which were fun as well.
I probably should have done the card on Monday, assuming some people would overlook it.
I’m glad Yorkie has recovered – maybe it was akin to a human’s bout with the flu. I think it will be cooler and maybe the wind will finally die down a bit. It’s been like walking in a wind tunnel!
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I don’t know the difference but both are gorgeous! Thanks for the card. Unfortunately I can’t get sound out of my computer today but loved it anyway. Not sure what is going on with computer but there’s always something! Happy Halloween!
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Yes, they are both beautiful creatures Kate. At a glance they look similar, but the Viceroy is smaller and has a black horizontal line running along its hindwings. Once you compare the two butterflies, you will notice it right away. ‘Tis the season for creepy things and things that go bump in the night, so hopefully your computer is soon back to normal. I was looking for a card with “flying things” so that was the best I could do. You missed all the hootin’ (owl) and howlin’ (wolf) and the cat freaking out. Happy Halloween to you as well!
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Spectacular close-ups! Enjoyed the JL greeting card too.
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Thank you Dave! I do like getting close-ups of these beautiful creatures. I’ll have some Swallowtails coming up in a few weeks. Sadly, butterflies of any type (except Cabbage Whites) were scarce this Summer. Glad you enjoyed the spooky greeting card.
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I wouldn’t have known the difference either, Linda. Both are so pretty. Happy Hallowen to you!🎃
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They both are beautiful butterflies Terri. I took an interpretive walk several years ago and the guide pointed out that Viceroys have a black horizontal bar running across their hindwings. Once you compare the two butterflies, it is obvious, but I am sure I confused them for years before his explanation. Viceroys are also smaller, they don’t migrate, but overwinter in cocoons and they flit about more erratically than Monarchs who flit about gracefully. Happy Halloween back at you!
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Miss Linda……………………………..no I don’t know the difference between the beautiful butterflies but thank you for your pictures
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Ann Marie – When I got my first Metropark pass in 2018 I took a few interpretive walks and also a few boat trips (like you and Steven did). So I went to take a photo of what I thought was a Monarch and Paul, the guide, said “you know that’s not a Monarch – it’s a Viceroy?” Nope, I did not know that and he proceeded to explain the difference to me then. The Viceroy has a horizontal black line running across its hindwings and also is smaller than a Monarch. Plus Viceroys stay here, don’t migrate and flit around erratically, not as gracefully as a Monarch.
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Miss Linda………………………………….that’s so interesting…………………………next time I spot a butterfly (next year) I’ll look closer at him or her
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I hope you get to see some next year Ann Marie now that you know what to look for and you’ll wonder how you never noticed before!
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Let’s see…I used to know the difference. I think they are (from top to bottom) Monarch, Viceroy, Monarch, Viceroy.
But they are all beautiful!
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You are correct Laurie! The Viceroy has a horizontal black line running across its hindwings and also is smaller than a Monarch. Yes, they are both beautiful and delicate creatures!
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I love butterflies, we don’t see very many where I live, not like we used to.
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I love them too Susan, such beautiful creatures. Sadly, I only saw a few Monarchs or Viceroys this Summer and Swallowtails only once or twice, despite all the parks and various gardens I frequent. I do see a lot of Cabbage Whites, (not to disparage them, but they are everywhere). 🙂
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Ahhhhh, I don’t know the difference!!
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Hi Esther – the Viceroys have a black horizontal line running along their hindwings and they are smaller than a Monarch.
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I see!! Thank you for clarifying it.
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You’re welcome Esther – once you see the comparison, you will always notice … I see a mini science lesson for the kids!
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Wonderful butterfly. I couldn’t know different between!
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Glad you liked it Raj. They are both beautiful butterflies, but the Viceroy has a black line running along its hindwings and is a little smaller.
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Very good ,you clarifying me. I see it’!
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I’m glad you can see it Raj – I never noticed it before it was pointed out to me.
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Thanks, Linda 🙏!
Happy New year ! India celebrates today!
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Well Happy New Year Raj (a little belated) – hope it was a good celebration for you!
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Thanks!
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Of course I know the difference. A Viceroy is a brand of cigarettes and a Monarch was a Canadian car brand built by the Ford Motor Company. Oh, you meant butterflies. 🙂
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You are smart JP. 🙂 I remember seeing Viceroy cigarettes (probably the ads for them) and I remember I had a blog post where I was a baby sitting on the hood of the car and you identified it as a Monarch. Everyone must be tired of politics because no one mentioned political leaders which are called “monarchs” and “viceroys”.
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I did not know until I looked it up. And, IIRC – from biology – the Viceroy developed to resemble the Monarch because the Monarch, which eats milkweed, is toxic to many of it’s would be predators. The Viceroy get a pass from the same predators.
I don’t think I’m making that up but maybe I should have read all the comments.
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You have a good memory Zazzy and you are correct about the predators and the Viceroy getting a pass from predators. I took an interpretive walk once and learned a lot about a Viceroy … I was trying to take a photo of it and the guide said something like “you DO know that’s a Viceroy and not a Monarch?” Oops and no I didn’t, but he proceeded to tell me how to tell the difference. And also, Viceroys don’t migrate, but overwinter in a cocoon and emerge in Spring and they also fly erratically whereas Monarchs flit gracefully in the air. Who knew? Someone spent a lot of time comparing the two!
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I didn’t know the difference until I read the comments. They are both beautiful, as your excellent closeups reveal. 😍
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Thank you Debbie – I was lucky to be almost on top of both of these butterflies (on two separate outings), so I decided their black-and-orange colors would be fun to use for Halloween. Now that you can see the difference, you will wonder how you never noticed before!
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I just learned the difference by reading the comments here. Either are pretty and your photos are wonderful. Well done.
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Thank you Ally – they are both pretty and delicate creatures and I was lucky to be that close to them to get good shots.
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Beautiful!
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Glad you liked them Linda – butterflies are such beautiful and dainty creatures!
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WOWWWWW! Those pictures are so beautiful Linda! I don’t ever see them here anymore.
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Thank you Diane! I was lucky to be up close to both of them. I only saw a few Monarchs, Viceroys and Swallowtails this Summer. I will have some Swallowtails in a few weeks. The rest of the butterflies were mostly Cabbage Whites and that’s it.
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They seem to be disappearing!
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Yes, that is disappointing that is happening. And, there is no way of helping that situation unless people have more plants so they can host the caterpillars that can thrive and become butterflies. I knew a woman once (well still know her, she is a Facebook friend, but haven’t chatted in about a decade) … her entire back yard is Milkweed plants and she grows the Milkweed so the Monarchs feed, lay eggs and she harvests the caterpillars and takes them inside her home into terrariums so they can grow, make a chrysalis and then emerge. She releases each butterfly and takes great photos of them. She even takes the terrariums up north when her family goes on vacation – she is all about helping Monarchs thrive.
As to the dwindling population, it is either pesticides on lawns that hurt them but it can’t possibly be climate change … today I was hauling in groceries and it was afternoon and I had on a cardigan, took it off and was wearing a sleeveless top on (for my allergy shots) … the 6th of November and in a sleeveless shirt and I was not cold in the least.
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Great pics, Linda! It’s great that you are showing both kinds. Both are getting more and more rare each year, unfortunately. In some areas they are rebounding, however.
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Thank you Tom! I was glad that the guide pointed it out to me as I was taking a photo of what I thought was a Monarch and he explained the differences. If we get any warmer in the Midwest, the Monarchs won’t start migrating until November at this rate! I hope they do rebound eventually around here too. I saw very few butterflies this year. I did see some Swallowtails at a pollinator garden – their photos will be coming up in a few weeks on a Sunday post. They were gorgeous.
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