🐦 🦃 Bursting with BIRDS + Baby Monarch Caterpillars🌿🐛

Happy Sunday Good GROWer,

it’s been hot and steamy here in our northern garden and there’s lots of activity going on in the garden….

Garden Wildlife Report

So who’s been flapping about the garden this week?

• 3 hummingbirds: this is the first time I’ve ever seen (old garden or new) three hummingbirds at one time. Of course, they were chasing each other the entire time. Like monarch males, they are very territorial.

I saw one hummer who flattened his body over the large head of a state fair zinnia with one wing fully extended. At first I thought he was hurt, but when I went outside to check he flew off instantly.

I also saw one hummingbird hiding (at least that’s what it looked like) on a low branch of a bee balm plant while a second hummingbird was going up and down in a u-shape flight pattern. I confirmed this was how males attract females. 😍

• There’s been a lot of bird activity in the garden this week with all the regulars (cardinals, robins, blue jays, hummers, various woodpecker spp.) and some less frequent visitors like this oriole:

• Return of the Turkeys: a few weeks back, I posted a photo of a big group of baby turkeys. The parents brought them back, and they were noticeably bigger. This time, our bird feeder was up so they were able to scavenge some spilled seeds.
  

• Monarchs: I’ve started to see a few more, both in and outside of the garden. I’ve seen many more females than males, and regular egg laying, especially on the common milkweed.
  

• Bumble Bees: In Minneapolis, I saw a large patch of Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot) filled with bumble bees. BIG Bumble bees. I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen so many bees in one place. I’m assuming there was an underground nest close by.

That was the most amazing nature sighting this week, and perhaps the entire season. I have ZERO excuses for not taking a video…I don’t know what I was thinking 🐝 🤪

But, I’ll try to give myself a little grace. With Raise the Migration in full swing, It’s been a busy week.

This week, we posted info about how to care for baby monarch caterpillars and I also added a new video of our outdoor raising setup. Check this out…

Raise The Migration 2025- Baby Caterpillar Care❓🐛

Baby caterpillars are easy to care for, but they're also easy to lose if you don't take a few simple precautions. Learn more about caring for them here and how to help them graduate from food containers to milkweed cuttings:

Tips for Baby Monarch Caterpillars 👈 (No Touch Care Tips)

Cage Cleaning Tips for Messy Monarch Caterpillars 👈 🌿🐛

By now, you probably know I’m a proponent of indoor raising, as long as you can still provide natural levels of heat, light, humidity. However, this new outdoor setup we’re trying this season is my favorite outdoor setup yet:

🎥 OUTDOOR Raising Setup:

Garden Resources

Below is the plant mentioned above where I witnessed the amazing bumble bee gathering just a few days ago. Wild bergamot also attracts/supports butterflies, including monarchs:

Monarda Fistulosa (wild bergamot) ⬅️ (there’s a reason they call this bee balm 🐝 🐝)

Coming Up Next?

We’ll continue to report on plant growth, and both expected and unexpected garden visitors…

Until next time,

Tony your Butterfly Guide