Monarchs find thistle in midsummer
June 13, 2026
The air shimmers with heat across the sage flats near Paonia, where summer reaches its full intensity. Magpies call from scattered cottonwoods, and the scent of big sagebrush carries on what little breeze moves through the valley. If you are walking here, the sun presses against your shoulders with the weight of the longest days. A monarch butterfly moves through this landscape with purpose that seems impossible for something so fragile. Its orange wings catch the light as it searches, pausing at flower after flower, testing each one. The monarch is looking for something specific in this sea of blooms. Rocky Mountain thistle grows here in scattered patches, its purple flower heads rising above spiny stems. Both the butterfly and the plant share something beyond this moment: they are both threatened species, each rare in a landscape that once held many more of their kind. The thistle offers what the monarch needs most during breeding season. Its deep purple flowers produce nectar rich in the sugars that fuel long-distance flight and egg production. The monarch's proboscis unfurls to reach deep into the flower head, where dozens of tiny florets cluster together. Each floret holds its own small reservoir of nectar, and the butterfly works methodically from one to the next. While feeding, pollen grains stick to the monarch's legs and body, and when it moves to the next thistle, it carries genetic material between plants that may be separated by hundreds of yards. This exchange sustains both species through their most demanding season. The monarch female must find milkweed plants for egg-laying, but she also needs energy-rich nectar sources like thistle to fuel her search and support egg development. The Rocky Mountain thistle depends on pollinators like monarchs to move pollen between its scattered populations. In this fragmented landscape, where invasive cheatgrass and purple crownvetch compete for space, both species rely on finding each other across greater and greater distances. The thistle blooms through midsummer, timing its peak flowering with the monarch's breeding season, when the butterfly's need for nectar is highest. The monarch lifts from the thistle and continues its search, orange wings steady against the afternoon heat. Somewhere in the distance, a western kingbird calls from a fence post, and the sagebrush releases its sharp perfume into air that tastes of dust and summer. The thistle remains, purple against the pale earth, its flowers still heavy with nectar that catches the slanted light.
Broad-tailed hummingbirds return to spring flowers
May 29, 2026
The mesas around Paonia hold the morning light differently now, filtered through leaves that have reached their full spring green. If you step outside, you might catch the sound that announces their return: a metallic trill that cuts through the air like a tiny bell being shaken at speed. The Broad-tailed Hummingbirds are back from their winter grounds, and the timing is no accident. These hummingbirds arrive when the landscape offers what they need most. The Sego Lily opens its three white petals in a perfect cup, each bloom lasting just a few days but appearing in sequence across the rocky slopes. The Scarlet Globemallow spreads its orange flowers in dense clusters, each one small but collectively offering a reliable nectar source that persists through the warming weeks. Evening primrose unfolds its pale yellow blooms as the day cools, extending the feeding hours into dusk. The hummingbirds move between these flowers with precision, their needle bills matching the depth of each corolla, their tongues extending to reach nectar at the base. A male Broad-tailed Hummingbird weighs less than a nickel, but he defends a territory that might span several acres. He positions himself where the flower density is highest, chasing away other hummingbirds with aggressive dives and that distinctive wing trill that serves as both warning and identification. His throat flashes magenta in the right light, a signal visible to rivals and potential mates alike. The females arrive shortly after, more quietly, focused on finding nest sites in the protection of scrub oak or pinyon pine. They build with spider silk and lichen, materials that expand as the eggs grow, creating a structure barely larger than a walnut that will hold two white eggs through the cool mountain nights. The relationship between hummingbird and flower runs deeper than simple feeding. The Sego Lily depends on these pollinators to transfer pollen between plants scattered across the mesa. The hummingbird's forehead picks up pollen as it feeds, carrying genetic material from flower to flower with each territorial patrol. Scarlet Globemallow has evolved specifically for this partnership: its orange color sits at the peak of hummingbird vision, and its flowers produce nectar throughout the day when the birds are most active. Even the evening primrose benefits, though it opens for night-flying moths. Hummingbirds feed on its early morning nectar, helping to pollinate flowers that might otherwise go unvisited in the brief window before they close. Listen for that metallic trill if you are walking the trails above Paonia this morning. The sound carries farther than you might expect, bouncing off the sandstone faces and echoing through the oak brush. Each trill marks a small territory claimed, a feeding route established, a breeding season begun. The flowers are open now, waiting in the warming air.
Lewis's Woodpecker ( Melanerpes lewis ) returned to its cottonwood territory in June, holding the same stretch of riparian woodland where it was spotted in late May. The 25-day interval between sightings suggests the bird is establishing a foothold here — a significant sign given the species' steep decline across the western interior. This cottonwood corridor continues to anchor a remarkably intact riparian ecosystem. Over the past two months, observers have documented 105 bird and wildlife species in the immediate area, a diversity that speaks to the structural and botanical integrity of the forest. For a woodpecker already rare across much of its former range, the presence of mature cottonwoods with suitable foraging substrate and nesting cavities remains critical. As long as the riparian strip holds, there is reason to believe Lewis's Woodpeckers will return.
