Monarch versus goldfinches

Geoff told me that his monarchs in Houston chase the birds and I just saw that behaviour in my front yard yesterday. My sunflowers attract a lot of goldfinches and I worry that they will try to get at the monarchs who nectar on liatris ligulistylus nearby (their absolute favorite nectar plant!). No worries. I saw one feisty monarch (probably the female) chase off two fat goldfinches who may have gotten too close to her nectar source, her eggs, or her.

Monarchs often have a lilting flight pattern, they can soar slowly and gently. But when laying eggs females flit and hover, and dart rapidly which draws the hunter's eye away from where they have just laid their eggs. Thus the eggs are protected. It is very difficult to get a photo of her laying her eggs because she is very suspicious of every move the camera makes. I did get some OK shots of the egg laying. They tuck the tip of their tail under the bottom of a milkweed leaf and deposit the egg where it will be least visible.