Date: 09/22/2011

Number: 100

While driving along our major expressway in Toronto that runs east and west along the shore of Lake Ontario (Gardiner Expressway), I observed a number of monarchs flying in a south-westerly direction towards the lake shore. Perhaps they were also fleeing an approaching cold front and rain, clouds of which could be seen in the north. Here is a report by Howard Hershcovitch of Toronto. High Park is a very large park near the lake shore in the west end of the city. Rosetta McClain Gardens are also along the lake shore but in east Toronto:

"Visited High Park early Thursday afternoon, lots of monarchs, a few
painted ladies, suphurs, skippers and 1 red admiral seen in the
gardens south of the Grenadier Restaurant. I then went to the (Leslie Street Spit/Tommy Thompson Park and
walked out to the area where I saw good roosts last year.
Interestingly enough there did not appear to be many monarchs entering
the spit (near the gate) but there were probably a few hundred seen
feeding on goldenrod and New England asters on the way to the roosting
trees. At about 5:30 they suddenly started streaming up into a couple of
poplar trees and soon each cluster contained well over a hundred
butterflies.

A hawk watcher at Rosetta McClain Gardens reported about
2400 per hour heading west along the lakeshore earlier Thursday
afternoon. What happens tomorrow depends greatly on the weather but
with luck this should be a great weekend for spotting monarch roosts
on the spit.

Toronto, ON

Latitude: 43.7 Longitude: -79.4

Observed by: Donald A.
Contact Observer

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