Date: 09/27/2009

Number: 1

WOW!!! We were up on the Blue Ridge Parkway on FRIDAY (September 25th 2009) in cloudy, misty, cool weather and encountered hundreds of nectaring Monarchs within about a two mile range of each other (Caney Fork Overlook, Richland Balsam Overlook, and Beartrap Gap Overlook) and a few at Doubletop Mountain Overlook, where the weather was at its most "iffy".

After a rainy, foggy, ICKY Saturday all over the Southeast, Sunday (the day of this report) was GORGEOUS so after church we went BACK up on the Parkway to the same area, expecting to see even more of them and expecting to spend several hours rather than just a few minutes in each spot. The weather was coolish (upper 50's to mid 60's and back to the 50's as it got closer to sunset) but sunny and low humidity . . .

We saw ONE Monarch (Caney Fork Overlook) and it looked brand new. ONE - - - where there were hundreds on Friday . . . I wish I knew what happened!!! It's as if they woke up on Sunday morning and took off . . . gone!!! But we saw none flying and no hint of any roosting, which you might expect if it was too cool for them to fly.

In general, the population is just way down and it's very scary!

Sylva, NC

Latitude: 35.4 Longitude: -83.2

Observed by: Claire
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