Date: 09/11/2011

Number: 1000

Monarchs arrived at Baker University Wetlands. In the late afternoon hours we found many feeding on sunflowers, bidens and thistles. Towards evening the monarchs were forming loose clusters in nearby trees. Dr. Chip Taylor estimates a minimum of 1,000 monarchs in the square mile wetland area today.

September 12
Bob & I arrived at the Baker Wetlands in Lawrence, KS, at 7:40 this morning. The monarchs were already swirling under the tree canopy with only a few groups of 10 or so still on tree branches. Within minutes they moved out to the large patches of bidens nearby and began feeding. There were so many monarchs it took our breath away! Easily 500, likely many, many more. When we started tagging it wasn't a question of looking for them - it was more a question of which one to net? We saw 3 or 4 monarchs on every plant around us, just amazing! Since it was still on the cooler side, they were easy to catch to tag and often I could just reach out with my hands and pick them. We tagged 40 monarchs in less than an hour and all but one were very fresh and new. We saw only one male showing territorial behavior, all the rest were feeding peacefully side by side. What a sight! We did find one plump 5th-instar monarch larva, too, in the field. (Courtesy of Monarch Watch)

Lawrence, KS

Latitude: 38.9 Longitude: -95.2

Observed by: Gail
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