Date: 09/05/2011

Number: 50

I traveled west after day two of our Monarchs and Migrants Weekend at Presqu'ile Provincial Park (north shore of Lake Ontario opposite Rochester, New York) and went to a couple of large fields in which I have been finding large caterpillars and monarchs. This was about 5:30 pm, and the strong westerly wind prevented what appeared to be entirely newly hatched monarchs in pristine condition from getting very far west in the huge clover field, or the monarchs were happy to stay here and nectar. In an hour, I had captured 50 large and beautiful monarchs, most with very plump abdomens. Then I moved into the adjacent clover field filled with milkweed plants and was quite taken back by the number of large caterpillars I was spotting - on top of leaves, resting underneath milkweed leaves along the main vein of the leaf. About 6:45 pm clouds moved in and I spotted a few monarchs - perhaps 6 - preparing to rest on a maple tree for the night.

Again, I wonder if due to the late cool wet spring, monarch development and the migration is later this year. Certainly, numbers are still way down from last year. Sept. 9/11/10 at Presqu'ile Park...about 10,0000 monarchs roosted in clusters the park for the night - the largest known roosting in the park ever. Video of this phenomenon is on YOUTUBE.

Presqu'ile Provincial Park, ON

Latitude: 44 Longitude: -77.7

Observed by:
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