Date: 04/12/2002

Number: 1

Following the report by one of our eighth graders and her father of "a lot" of monarchs I went to investigate this afternoon. It was as she had said, many monarchs. There was a valley between the rolling hills that runs from southwest to northeast, pastures with scattered Asclepias asperula, many wildflowers. I lost count at fifty and might have seen one hundred. Netted six, lost two, bumped six, three females, three males, were moderately faded to very faded and very tattered. Light southeast breeze, 84 dF. They were flying from the pastures and landing on the northwest side of large hackberry trees that grow in the fence line alongside the ranch road. There they would hang with wings open to the sun until another came along and "jumped" them. There were many aerial duels between males (as many as seven once). 5:15 pm - 7:00 pm To me this was most unusual, but may be what happens in the upper midwest states when monarchs gather in large numbers around fields of wild milkwee

Concrete, TX

Latitude: 28.8 Longitude: -97

Observed by: Harlen E.
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