Our migration window here in eastern KS is typically from 8-11 Sept to 4-7 Oct. Monarchs are here but generally scarce on or about the 4th of Oct and it usually takes an hour or more to see, and or catch, 30-40 monarchs in patches of late blooming asters.

I just came back from lunch and checked the garden (Monarch
Waystation#1) for butterfly activity. Wow! I counted 42 monarchs nectaring on the butterfly bushes, Cosmos, Vitex, asters, tropical milkweed, and verbena, and know I didn't see them all. It would be nice to know where these butterflies are coming from. It seems unlikely that they are coming from the north since tagging has evidently been relatively poor from the Dakotas to Michigan. Nor does it seem probable that more than a few of these are local butterflies since reproduction appeared to shut down some time ago. Sounds like we need some more isotope analyses to determine the origins of butterflies in cases like these.

Courtesy of Monarch Watch

Lawrence, KS

Latitude: 39 Longitude: -95.2

Observed by:
Contact Observer

The observer's e-mail address will not be disclosed.
Contact will be made through a web-based form.