Butterflies and Flamingos
Key West, Florida
Monday, May 7, 2018
Clear, 85°
“Unexpected finds while traveling is one of the treasures to stay with you long after the journey is over.” – D. Whittington
We were pleasantly surprised when we went to the Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory. Not only did they have a wide variety and multitude of butterflies swooping and fluttering all over the place, but they had a rescued pair of Flamingos named Scarlett and Rhett. It just happened to be during their mating season and they put on quite a show.
The butterflies were everywhere going from plant to plant and to some perches that had bananas, pineapple, and mangoes for them to land on and feed. Some of my favorites were the black and red or blue on the top of the wing but black or brown underneath. They were fun to watch and depending on the position of their wings, they looked like two different kinds. I am sure that it is a protective coloring scheme that gives them the ability to hide from preying birds or other creatures. The winding path through the conservatory had many different plant species growing to different heights from full size trees to small shrubs and flowers that attracted the butterflies.
Rhett's and Scarlett’s habitat was located at one of the walking paths’ turns so there was an opportunity for viewing them from three different vantage points. The turn was at a small covered porch looking out over the water feature they waded in and drank from. There were small rocks for them to stand on and plants on the sides where they popped their heads up within a foot of those viewing. It was a real treat to be this close and seeing their eyes and beaks so near that you could reach out and touch them if you wanted. I had to stop myself several times as Rhett came up so close letting me take pictures of his head and eye, an incredible unexpected treat.
The conservancy does fantastic work on so many levels, education of the cycle of a butterfly’s life, promoting a better understanding of where these beautiful creatures live and migrate to and from every year. Also, in their care were about a dozen small finches that were recently rescued from a northern community and brought to Florida to get well so they could be re-introduced to the wild.
*I’ll post the mating dance video on the Traveling Life’s Highways Facebook page as well as additional photos of the butterflies and flamingos.