Date: 10/08/2009

Number: 1

October 8
Thursday, Oct 8 was one of the best monarch days I have had (this is my 13th year observing the migration at this location). Notice I said monarch day and not monarch migration day. The WNW wind did indeed bring thousands of monarchs to Assateague Island during the morning hours. But with seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens) and large bur-marigold (Bidens laevis) in peak bloom, monarchs settled in for an all-afternoon feeding event. Those that did attempt to migrate were blown out over the ocean during 30+ mph wind gusts (around 6pm when winds decreased, many monarchs as well as green darners, black saddlebags, wandering gliders, and common buckeyes were observed returning to shore, flying low-- just over the waves). Nectaring monarchs were still clinging to the seaside goldenrod at sunset. Just after sunset, I counted 1,000 individuals roosting in about one acre of goldenrod (there were more, but I stopped counting at 1,000).

October 5
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.

Courtesy of Monarch Watch

Chincoteague NWR, VA

Latitude: 37.9 Longitude: -75.3

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