Date: 04/09/2002

Number: 1

Had an eighth grader hurry across the foyer early this morning. She and her dad had been driving along some of the ranch lanes in northern DeWitt County working on her wildflower project. She was so proud! For the first time, she had identified Asclepias asperula, just beginning to bloom, at least a hundred blooms in a half mile stretch. And her bonus was that there were monarchs on and around the asperula. About an hour before sundown she said the monarchs began to land in the nearby hackberry trees that hung over the lane. She counted forty-five monarchs and her dad counted fifty ... so they settled on "at least forty-five monarchs." I hadn't thought of "clustering" since last fall, this must have been close. She netted one female, couldn't reach the others, moderate fade, tattered, 51 mm x 35 mm. Early Monday morning there had been a storm, 1.5 to 5 in. rain in DeWitt and Victoria counties, they were going back to check for eggs.

Concrete, TX

Latitude: 28.8 Longitude: -97

Observed by: Harlen E.
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