This shot was taken about six years ago at our trailer on the shore of Lake Erie. The butterfly bush was across the road from us... it was HUGE! Needless to say I have hundreds of shots of butterflies and bees but this one is my favorite.
We all loved seeing the Monarch butterflies getting ready to migrate. One year, just after my old E-500 died, I went outside and realized that what I was seeing was hundreds of Monarchs dripping from the trees over head. It was mesmerizing. No... I'm ashamed to say I didn't get any shots. It's all in my head.
I'm guessing they spent the night tucked into the trees in our park. As the sun grew stronger, around 9am, they slowly started to wake up and fly across the road to the lake. They moved slowly enough for me to grab my kayak and gear, run across the road, down the beach and launch to witness a large group start their journey across that turquoise water. It was an experience that I'll never forget.