Undated photograph of the Lake Erie shoreline where the observer counted monarchs.

September 16, 2016
Starting at about 5:30pm, we were sitting on our patio facing Lake Erie. Calm weather. Suddenly we saw wave after wave of Monarchs coming along the lake shore heading westward. This continued for at least one hour. Our patio is on a small bluff perhaps 20 feet above the lake level. They were typically above us but many flew right by us at our level. Mainly along the lakeshore but some were actually over the water. There were successive waves. At the peak I estimate at least 100 per minute slowing as the time progressed. It was one of the most amazing things we have ever seen. A few stopped momentarily on flowers, but they were mainly busily migrating, not stopping to feed.

The entire event was actually at least two solid hours. At first there were a few in the flowers and I thought that was nice since we have not seen many in the last few years. Then I noticed they were fluttering by the window facing the lake, so I went outside and saw they were coming in a swath roughly from the east along the lake shore and headed roughly west. We live about two miles west of Vermilion Ohio on the lake front. The peak hour was the second hour, and I would estimate the peak truly was a 100 or so in a one, maybe two minute period. Hard to say for sure, but I was so stunned. In the middle of the peak I could look up, to the lake, back south to the landward side, or, best of all, some went along side me or right over my head! You could see them materialize as they headed towards us and then they were past and gone. Some were very deliberate in moving on, some were playing a bit, and some stopped on some of the flowering plants but did not stay long on them. I think I must have had a very foolish grin on my face because watching them just made me want to laugh!
 
Some were every high in the air. As high as some very large old maples that we have in our area. Others were below the level of our patio, slightly. Our patio is about 20 feet above lake level where we are. Most were at our level or somewhat above, maybe up to 20-30 feet above our patio level.
 
Prior to the peak I would estimate they started passing 10 or so per minute when I really knew something was starting to happen, then ramped up from that to the peak and then ramped down. Even after it was 'over' every now and again a straggler would fly by, but if I had not seen the main event I never would have thought it was part of a migration.
 
I would say the 'peak' period was a good solid 10 minutes with fall off on both sides. So I would have estimated 10 minutes @ 100/minute = 1,000 monarchs. Yes, there were that many! You could smooth the before and after to follow the shape of your curve, and I think you would have it. Interestingly, when we see the duck migrations, they are almost all in giant flocks during the 'peak', with very few before and after.  The Monarchs are a bit more 'mercurial' in their behavior, but the so called peak was flockish as well.

It had been a rainy afternoon, but when the migration event happened the skies had cleared, and the winds were calm, maybe 5mph or so off the lake. Pleasant temperature, maybe 75F or so.
 
I did not get any pictures sorry to say. They were spread out enough it would have been hard to do it justice, and I did not want to miss any of it. But here is a picture (taken in the spring). I was standing on the grass and the Monarchs were coming toward me. I was facing NE and they first became visible at about the treeline over the beach.

We used to have more milkweed in our area than we do today, but I did notice a few plants coming back, so I am glad about that. But, they must have already fed for the day since they were mainly moving past our area.

— Edward Yandek, Vermillion, Ohio

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