Recently I featured some shots of a Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) feeding on some milkweed. I feared that it might be the only Monarch that I would see this year, because there have been some years in the recent past when I have not spotted a single Monarch butterfly.
I was absolutely delighted this past Wednesday when I spotted another Monarch. I was walking along one of the trails at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge when my eyes were attracted by a flash of bright orange. I assumed incorrectly that it was “only” a Viceroy, but when I zoomed in, I could see that it was a Monarch.
I was using my long 150-600mm lens with a monopod, so I had to scramble a bit to get a good shooting angle. I was thrilled with the shot that I captured of the Monarch in action with its proboscis extended. I am not sure what kind of flower this is, but I really like the way that it was drooping a little as the butterfly perched lightly on it, helping to create a nice triangular composition.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Truly very nice photos 👍 my wife made a mobile-video about a courageous squirrel on our balcony in Berlin, just need to ask a friend for editing, then I will put it on my blog which may take some time. We have a lot of wilderness downtown here in Berlin 🙂
This is an amazing monarch Butterfly..great images . I saw so many here.
Let’s follow our blogs. Anita