Date: 10/22/2005

Number: 1

October 22

Last Saturday we stood among hundreds of Monarch butterflies that were flying onto land from out over the Gulf of Mexico.

We were riding motorcycles from Perdido Key, Florida, heading into Orange Beach, Alabama, a distance of about 5 miles. We saw the monarchs all along the way. At first, we encountered some butterflies as we rode, but we noticed so many that we finally stopped underneath a bridge and stood at a seawall at Perdidio Pass to watch.

As they came in off the Gulf the monarchs were flying low over the water. When they encountered the seawall they flew up and over, then continued heading north. (Tide being what it was, the distance from the top of the water to the top of seawall was approxiately 5 feet.

We saw approximately 25 butterflies every 5 minutes at the part of the seawall where we were standing, so over 200 butterflies in total. The same thing was happening along the 300+ feet length of the seawall. (It was very difficult to make them out at all because they were flying close to the water, and blended in.)

During our ride along the beach, some were, of course, being hit by cars but most were flying above that level heading north.

It was one of the most remarkable sights I have ever seen. We wondered why they were going north. Could Hurricane Wilma have blown them off course and back over land? (At the time, the ocean surf was rough and pounding the beach because of Wilma.)

The sighting occurred between 3:30 - 5:00 pm. It was a sunny day.

On Sunday evening, just at dusk, we saw maybe 5 butterflies as we drove the same 5 mile drive to Orange Beach). We saw none when we stopped at the same place. Fascinating!

October 27
Received a report from a friend who lives in a condo on Perdido Key that, as of Monday, the butterflies were around in sufficient numbers for people to notice. She reports that her condo is landscaped with lantana and that seemed to be attracting them. I have asked that she try to do a count to provide you with some additional info.

Perdido Key, FL

Latitude: 30.3 Longitude: -87.4

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