Date: 09/30/2005

Number: 1

Our days and nights are much cooler now - night time lows into the 40's F and colder further north.
Flowering plants are the decline, with blue New England aster standing out as one drives down the expressways. Goldenrod has now turned mostly brown.

Even with the daytime temperatures today requiring a jacket, I spotted a number of individual monarchs struggling southward and soaring high over Hwy. 401 expressway between Toronto and Cobourg (radiant sun warms them up).

The latest I have seen monarchs at Presqu'ile was a lone straggler on Nov. 8th. However, one was found in south-west Ontario one year during a Christmas bird count.

I would have to say with the exception of a couple of days when he had severe wind and rain storms, weather here in Ontario in August and September was ideal for the monarch migration - mostly lovely warm sunny days. No shortage of nectar sources for adults.

Let's hope for a bumper crop in Mexico.

Toronto, ON

Latitude: 43.4 Longitude: -79.3

Observed by:
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