Outdoor Ontario
Birding Reports => Migration Movements => Topic started by: Dinusaur on September 18, 2014, 06:58:49 PM
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The other day I photographed this Broad-winged hawk soaring high up. Later I noticed a Monarch in few of the photographs at very much the same focal plane as the hawk. I was shooting with a telephoto lens with very limited depth of field, this monarch was very likely flying at the same height as the hawk. This is a heavily cropped picture. Do the Monarch butterflies fly so high up during their migration? I always thought they fluttered along at a relatively low height.
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3897/15259350566_f70b55a93f_c.jpg) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/60250038@N02/15259350566/)
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I don't know what the reasons are, but I can tell you that I have seen Monarchs at some crazy heights while visiting the Rosetta Raptor Watch. Although we see many bobbing along the edge of the bluffs at eye level, we also see a lot way out over the lake or way up high with the raptors. It's kinda funny when you're trying to focus on an eagle and a monarch flies right into your field of view. I wonder if the height has anything to do with wind direction or thermals; or if it's as simple as just trying to avoid all those obstacles down low? I love the way your hawk seems to be looking at the butterfly! Great shot!
-kris
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Thanks Kris. After doing a bit of research online I found out that they do indeed fly quite high during migration in order take advantage of the thermals. Someone reported seeing one at 11,000 feet.