Date: 10/25/2005
Number: 1
46 dF to 76 dF, N wind, 10 mph to dead calm at 3:00, clear.
Bay was slick at 3:00 and mirrored a second sun at 5:00.
Count of monarchs crossing Lavaca Bay Causeway to SW, 3.1 mi.
9:30 -- 25 monarchs
10:00 -- 35
10:30 -- 26
12:00 -- 17
1:30 -- 10
2:30 -- 7
5:30 -- 3
The monarchs were not flying this afternoon but there were so many of them on the goldenrod and false-willow we decided to count those that we could. We counted along both sides of the peninsula and had over six hundred. This is the most monarchs we have ever counted at this site just nectaring.
It was very strange that almost none were attempting to cross the bay this afternoon. The only thing we could tell was that the surface of the bay was so very slick ... possibly hard to tell distance! When crossing the bay on the causeway from forty feet up there appeared to be two suns ... one in the sky and one in the water. The only other thing we could tell was that there was no help in the form of vertical lift, the high pressure was parked right over us this afternoon.
October 30 &31
Almost no monarchs on the peninsula on the north end of the Lavaca Bay Causeway the past two days (30th and 31st) with a strong prefrontal southeast wind blowing. Had to look hard to find 3 on trips over there.
November 1
Strong front blew in from the NW about seven last night with T-storms and gusts to 43 mph. Count has been improving all day: Wind was still strong but out of NNW this morning, clear, 64 at 9:30, 74 at 4:00, wind was
10-15 mph out of NNW at 5:00 ... 47 in the morning!
9:30 am 3 monarchs on east side of peninsula.
11:30 am 8 monarchs on east side of peninsula.
4:00 pm 45 monarchs on east side with more arriving
4:15 14 on west side ... 6 clustering on same old brush
Hope the wind is right tomorrow and doesn't switch to the east too quickly.
Port Lavaca, TX
Latitude: 28.5 Longitude: -96.7
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