Here are a few of this week's observations. Read the comments and calculate the migration rate for each. Add your favorites to your own Migration Highlights Map. Record this fall's most impressive observations on your Fall 2005 Record Sheet. (Don't forget: You can collect more observations from our migration maps and weekly updates.)

10/05/05 Woodlawn, VA (36 N, -80 W)
“My class and I counted approximately 6 monarchs heading south over our school parking lot in a span of 5 minutes.”

09/29/05 San Angelo, TX (31 N, -100 W)
Santa Rita Elementary students “saw 30 monarchs in a 30 minute period - just after lunch (during recess).”

10/05/05 Tulsa, OK (36 N, -95 W)
“Today our class saw 12 monarchs between 1:40 and 1:50.”

10/04/05 St. Paul, AR (35 N, -93 W)
"We counted 22 monarchs in 25 minutes," wrote St. Paul Elementary students from Arkansas. "My teacher, Mrs. Anita Lawrence of the 6th grade, has given us the wonderful opportunity to see these cool butterflies," added one student. "They were every where," said another.

09/29/05 Bend, TX (31 N, -98 W)
"We counted 30 Monarchs in a ten-minute period. They were flying overhead late in the evening."

10/03/05 Point Pleasant, NJ (40 N, -75 W)
While sitting on the beach, during a 30 minute period between 2:00 PM and 2:30 PM, I observed 15 Monarchs soaring in a SSW direction. Most were between 20' - 40' feet altitude.

10/02/05 Fishers Island, NY (41 N, -71 W)
While on a 2 hour walk along the beach and back, we saw well over a thousand monarchs nectaring on fall wildflowers. There were 5-15 monarchs on nearly every flowering plant we passed, some even more. Looking across the fields of beach grasses we could see monarchs hovering everywhere. Incredible sight!

10/01/05 North Little Rock, AR (34 N, -92 W)
This afternoon we sighted several monarchs in our backyard flying in a south to southwest direction. In a period of about an hour we spotted at least 100. We did not really have time to count as we were trying to catch and tag at the same time.

Here’s a tricky one from Texas:
“As I drove my many daily trips 13 miles from Buffalo Gap To Abilene, Texas,
my dates and times were as follows.

• Monday, October 3 Morning 25 to 30 - Afternoon 30 to 50
• Tuesday, October 4 Morning 25 to 30 - Afternoon same as above
• Wednesday October 5 Morning 30 to 40 - Afternoon 40 to 60
  (Reported for D. Carpenter by Mike Quinn, Texas Monarch Watch.)