Date: 09/08/2011

Number: 1

I just watched a monarch settle down for the night. The butterfly took some time to select a spot, at least 3 minutes from the time I first noticed it. To me, it seemed to invest a lot of energy into the selection process. It flew actively from tree to tree-- seemed ready to stop on a branch--then suddenly flapped off, circled around a bit, came back to a new spot, then back to the old spot, then round again and off to a new tree. It was always inspecting the south side of a tree; the wind was blowing lightly from the north (6 mph). It finally selected a large maple and vanished before my eyes when it closed its wings. The all took place about 45 minutes before sunset. The temperature is 67 F. I did not see any other butterflies, so I think it's traveling alone.

Charlotte, VT

Latitude: 44.3 Longitude: -73.2

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