Date: 10/05/2009

Number: 1000

Yesterday, Oct. 5 was an excellent monarch migration day on Assateague Island, VA at the Chincoteague NWR. The wind was WNW variable between 15-20mph. Monarch flight was constant from 8am through 6:45pm. Monarchs followed the primary dune to the elbow on the hook of Tom's Cove, turned around at the narrow part of the island and backtracked up to the seaside goldenrod interdune areas to nectar and roost for the night. No counts were conducted but one casual site count yielded 620 monarchs per hour during late morning. About 100 monarchs were netted and tagged. Monitors at Kiptopeke State Park be on the lookout for this big wave of monarchs today or tomorrow. Several tagged monarchs are still here, nectaring on the seaside goldenrod even though winds are favorable to leave. All but 2 of the 100 tagged had extremely lean abdomens, most likely from their ordeals of being blown over the ocean and having to struggle by flapping nonstop to get back to shore.

Chincoteague NWR, VA

Latitude: 37.9 Longitude: -75.3

Observed by:
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