On Saturday, I just happened to go outside in the middle of the afternoon and saw that there were TWO MONARCH BUTTERFLIES on my butterfly bush.  I must have spent a good 30 minutes trying to get a photograph showing both butterflies at once. This is what I ended up with and submitted with my sighting report to Journey North:

Two Monarchs on my Butterfly Bush

Then, I was at Southampton Elementary School in Richmond on Monday and saw two Monarch Butterflies on THEIR butterfly bush.  In this case we were in a hurry so I didn’t I have time to get both butterflies in one picture and you will have to take my word for it that there were two.

One of Two Monarch Butterflies on Butterfly Bush at Southampton Elementary

SPEAKING OF BUTTERFLY BUSHES … I wouldn’t give mine up for anything even though it’s a non-native.  The butterflies love it.  Maybe 9/10 of the butterflies I’ve identified in my yard have been on my butterfly bush.  (There were a couple of Painted Ladies flitting about on my butterfly bush while the Monarchs were there.  This year I’ve seen Painted Ladies only on my butterfly bush.)  Some people say they have had their butterfly bushes start to multiply, but mine never has even though I’ve had it for probably 15 years.  If it ever did start “to walk” I’d have to reconsider my opinion so I hope it doesn’t.  Except for the asters it’s the only thing in full bloom at this date when the Monarchs are still coming through.  Even the goldenrods are done blooming by now.