Date: 10/05/2011

Number: 1

A grade 6 class from St. Andrew’s public school in Cambridge was studying Biodiversity at the Blair Outdoor Education Centre today. While outside doing an invertebrate study, one of the students spotted a monarch in the field. We carefully netted it and learned that it was a male. Bright colours, no wear on the wings, made us think it had only recently emerged from its chrysalis. Cabbage whites and sulphurs are still flying in our area.

At 11:30 a.m, it was sunny, about 18 degrees C with a light breeze swinging from NW to NE.

Except for one day a week ago, when the butterflies were gliding over at a height of 6-8 meters, and a rate of about 1 every 15 minutes, the migration has been non-existent, or at least invisible to us here. The fields of goldenrod and aster are usually busy with butterflies, but not this year.

This class also checked out the Journey North site to see how the whooping crane migration is shaping up. I will be following and sharing with students the “ups and downs” of their daily flights.

Cambridge, ON

Latitude: 43.4 Longitude: -80.3

Observed by: Peter
Contact Observer

The observer's e-mail address will not be disclosed.
Contact will be made through a web-based form.