Migrating Monarchs, a Fiery Skipper, and Vervain

The Monarch butterflies are on the move south, and their numbers are increasing on the areas near the shores of Lake Erie. Monarchs were all over the place when we visited the Mentor Headlands Dunes and the Mentor Marsh Wake Robin Trail this past week.

While at the Wake Robin Trail, we saw two people who were taking notes about what they were observing. We asked what they were tracking, and one woman responded that they were tracking the Fiery Skipper, a small yellow butterfly. Since there is work being done to restore the area by the Wake Robin Trail back to its fresh water habitat, they were watching how it will affect the Fiery Skipper population. Earlier on the trail, one had landed in front of me and I had taken its photo. The woman also identified a pretty purple flowering plant as Vervain.

Here are a few photos of the Monarchs, the Fiery Skipper, and Vervain, plus other wildlife and plants.















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Fairport Harbor Lighthouse

The Fairport Marine Museum (Fairport Harbor, OH) sits at the base of the Fairport Harbor Lighthouse and can be easily seen from the eastern side of Mentor Headlands Beach. Walking the Headlands Dunes to get to the Mentor Headlands Lighthouse (which is on Lake Erie at the eastern end of Headlands beach and the western end of the mouth of the Grand River), the Fairport Lighthouse can be spotted just a short way inland on the eastern side of the Grand River.

Last Sunday my husband and I headed to the Fairport lighthouse, both of us planning to make the trip to the top. Unfortunately, I only got a third of the way up before the open steps of the spiral staircase gave me a slight case of queasiness. I think I was more worried that I would be able to make the trip down without being frozen in fear. My husband braved it all the way up to snap a photo of the view from the top. I took all my pictures safely on the ground.

Panorama photo © John J. Zimmer

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