Nectaring Non-stop

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"I came home from work to find three monarchs in the backyard. Two were on the Mexican sunflowers and the third was on goldenrod. I watched the two on the sunflowers from 2 to about 6 p.m. when one of the two flew off. I wondered how long the other monarch would stay. Sunset was at 8:03 p.m. The last monarch intently remained sipping nectar from flower to flower until 7:22 p.m. when it flew off. By then the light was lessening and the temperature had dropped from 79 to 72°F. The last monarch had fueled up for at least five and a half hours non-stop."

— Julia Mast, Goshen, Indiana  September 10, 2015

Citizen Science Monarch Butterfly Migration: Nectaring Non-stop
Julia Mast