Date: 06/19/2005

Number: 1

Today (Sunday) I visited my favorite monarch hunting
grounds at Presqu'ile Provincial Park near Brighton,
Ontario - about 150 km east of Toronto. As many will
know, this peninsula is remarkably diverse and over
320 species of birds have been seen here. It is an
Important Bird Area.

I did not find any monarch eggs, but the Nature Centre
staff had collected three eggs from milkweed growing
just outside the centre. The eggs hatched and the
larva are now 3/8 inches long.

Near the Calf Pasture, I hand captured three separate
adult monarchs - 2 females, 1 male - all in good
condition. They seemed very pre-occupied with feeding
on blue devil and they were easily stalked and
captured. Actually, two monarchs landed separately on
one plant and the male had just grasped the female in
his claspers as I captured both.

Our very warm weather has been replaced by cloudy cool
temperatures. We've had some rain, and daytime highs
are about 64 F. Quite a change from the 90 F+ a week
ago. The water temperature in Lake Ontario remains
cold - and local divers told me it is colder than
usual, thus possibly contributing to fewer monarchs
crossing the lake from the U.S. side (Rochester, New
York, area). Lilacs have now finished blooming and
there is lots of fresh milkweed.

Brighton, ON

Latitude: 44 Longitude: -77.4

Observed by:
Contact Observer

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