First Monarchs!

They are here!  The Monarchs are here!!!  At least, one Monarch is here.  I saw her for a brief moment flitting around the garden.  I was able to snap a picture, but it wasn't the best quality because she didn't hold still for more than a second...but I needed proof that I actually saw her! ;-)

And now I have at least FOUR Monarch babies hanging out in my milkweed plants.  I'm not sure if two of these guys were the same ones that nibbled my other milkweed to the ground, or if these are their siblings.  But, I counted at least four separate Monarch caterpillars on my milkweed today.

This guy is the biggest, probably 2.5-3.0 inches long and nice and plump.

This one is the second largest - a little shorter and a little skinnier than the first.

Belly shot

Then, there are these little guys.  At first, I only thought there was one little one, but as I followed him throughout the day, I noticed he had a buddy.

The top guy is probably just short of one inch long and the other little guy is about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch.  Pretty tiny, no wonder I almost missed them.

This is what my milkweed looks like now.  With four monarch caterpillars chomping away at them, I expect them to be picked clean once they enter their chrysalises in a couple of weeks.  We'll have to wait and see.