Date: 09/05/2010

Number: 1

Following on a highly active day on September 4 at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, monarch movement continued at the refuge. But a wind of 15 to 20 miles an hour from the southeast slowed the activity. During two morning hours, 81 monarchs were counted. A number of them were found in the savanna trail area of the refuge, where they were nectaring on the wildflowers away from the wind. In past years monarchs have roosted in oak trees in the savanna area. Back home in our butterfly garden in Altoona, another hundred monarchs were observed in an hour and one half as they passed through for short stopovers to nectar of the wildflowers. Some rested on berries on a mountain ash tree.

Prairie City, IA

Latitude: 41.6 Longitude: -93.3

Observed by: Robert
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