Date: 10/26/2007

Number: 1

Early liftoff of clusters ... area cleared before 8:00 but new flow had already opened.

Best count so far 12:00 to 12:30
half hour of 1156 for hourly of 2312.

Best 1 minute count was 43.

Best count crossing the 3.1 mile causeway, 194 in 5 minutes.

It was like this at 8:00 and was getting better at 12:00, the calm wind may make a difference this afternoon.

Same location near TX35, Alcoa Bluff, and north end of peninsula to Lavaca Bay Causeway, ... same place, same way as last year.
I can see a width of about 300' and an altitude about 200'.

I crossed over to west side and got into the stream ... they were coming from 65 deg and leaving out across the bay to
245 deg. I could see twenty coming and twenty lined up out across the bay. Checked with binoculars, there are a few above 200', the most action is in the lower 100' and I can see that without binocs. Many other butterflies showing up today now that it is calm. Calm, slight whisper out of NW, 76 dF, 18 % humidity, deep clear sky. This is all about to change.

October 28
Wind has turned and the monarchs have slowed to a trickle.
This afternoon it was 74 dF, wind NE 10-18 mph, humidity 38%, clear.

Best trip across the causeway 5

Best hourly average 40

Few nectaring

We spent a time this afternoon driving slowly along county roads west and northwest of Port Lavaca and along the west shore of Lavaca Bay, about four west of the causeway. and there was about one monarch about every three to four minutes flying by at about three to six feet heading more west than southwest. The closer we were to the bay, the more we would see. We were really looking to which of our friends might have had clusters in their trees and never knew it.

No change, monarch or weather wise, seen until Thursday.

Courtesy of Monarch Watch

Port Lavaca, TX

Latitude: 28.5 Longitude: -96.7

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