Date: 09/18/2005

Number: 1

We observed around 100 monarch resting and feeding today in our front yard butterfly garden. I counted around 30 on one sedum and we have about 7 sedum, 2 butterfly bush and a lot more plants they enjoy. We have five acres which we have mostly restored to prairie and I planted a larger butterfly garden as well. We live out in the country surrounded by corn/soybean fields for miles in each direction so we are an oasis for all sorts of critters, but particularly butterfly.

I did see a number of monarch in large goups that appeared to be flocking, similar to what you see with birds as they prepare to migrate. Could this be what they are doing?

September 20
We did counts at 9:30 am and again at
11 am. During the first count we saw 24 in a 15 minute period. The
second count we only saw 8. Today, September 21, we didn't see any. They must all be
gone!

Loda, IL

Latitude: 40.5 Longitude: -88.1

Observed by: Sheila
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