Date: 03/23/2002

Number: 1

All six of the Monarchs I saw in Big Bend NP on Saturday 23 March
were flying in and around wet, wooded areas, ie, none of these six
Monarchs seemed to be heading north while I watched them.
Four of the six Monarchs I saw looked fairly or downright fresh; two
looked moderately worn.

The first wooded area one comes to along the trail to Cattail Falls
in BBNP is a 100 yard long (mas o menos) riparian area with oaks and
cottonwoods, some quite tall, and water on the surface. This is the
area with the so-called "tie-down tree", an old oak that got bent
over years ago. Three of the Monarchs were here.


Cattails Falls itself is in a (delightful) small wooded Chisos canyon
tucked back into the base of the mountains. The park does not
advertise this place at all since they draw water for the Basin from
this area. The transition from Chihuahuan Desert to the wooded canyon
is abrupt. The length of the woods is a 1/4 mile or a bit less. Some
water was flowing over t

Big Bend National Park, TX

Latitude: 29.3 Longitude: -103.3

Observed by:
Contact Observer

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