Date: 09/19/2009

Number: 500

Saturday, September 19

At about 7:00 p.m. on Saturday evening, I was out at the back boundary of my yard cleaning out my martin house and I saw several Monarchs. They appeared to be flying to the same dead branch on a tree about twenty feet from where I was standing. I went closer and noticed about ten butterflies taking up a roost for the evening, it appeared. I got my camera and took some photos. A few more appeared, but it was a small group of only a dozen or so. They stayed the night and about half were still there the next morning and into that late afternoon on Sunday. It seemed strange that some stayed that long. The weather was especially warm for September, about 82 degrees.

Sunday, September 20

I arrived home from a game of golf about 4:00 p.m. Sunday and went outside to see if any of the Monarchs I saw this morning were still hanging around on the dead branch in a tree behind my house from the night before. A couple of Monarchs were still there and while I was there, I noticed quite a few Monarchs flying around in my backyard. Then I noticed they were landing on several branches in another tree on the edge of my yard. I got my camera and took some pictures. (I will send the best one via e-mail.) I watched for about an hour and estimated 300-500 Monarchs landed and spent the night there. The temperature today was warm, and there was a strong south wind, so I wondered if they were stopping early.

Monday, September 21

This morning at 7:00, just after sunrise, the monarchs were already gone. I was hoping to watch them all leave, but they were gone when I looked (and I went outside in my bathrobe as soon as I got up to see if they would still be there, but alas, they were already gone). I did not think they ever flew at night but, if not, they must have left at the first crack of dawn, since at 7:00, it is barely light right now and was a cloudy day anyway. Today was a very cool (60 degrees) and even windier at dawn, so maybe they figured they better head on south? In the four different roosts I've seen here, only one (the one on Sunday a.m. with the dozen or so butterflies) has ever had butterflies the next day when I've looked. On Sunday half of those hung around all day, which really seemed strange, since it was hot and windy (and a perfect day to fly?) with a cold front on the way. The large group must have gone as soon as they could...

Here is a picture of the second roost, sighted on Sunday. This is one or two of about four or five branches with Monarchs.

Here is a picture of the small group of only a dozen or so that I sighted on Saturday.

Hastings, NE

Latitude: 40.6 Longitude: -98.4

Observed by: Jerri
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