Date: 10/05/2011

Number: 20

Roosting in the trees in our back yard, over a dry creek...

We returned to our home from a trip and the monarchs were already in the yard, as in years past, but much fewer numbers. So, we don't know when they arrived.

They were healthy looking, adult monarchs that spent at least one night in our yard. Our (uneducated) guess is because of the heat (90-ish) and southerly wind they decided to rest in our yard, which is sheltered from the wind and cooler because of the tree canopy. We live on a lake so there is a large body of water nearby. We have had a spectacularly rough summer, but our trumpet vine and our lantana are only now beginning to decline. We have several large pecan trees on our property; I read recently the butterflies seem to get something from the leaves.

When we discovered our guests, we ran our sprinkler for a while to cool it down and provide some pools of water for the butterflies.

The butterflies only stayed with us overnight and left the next morning.

Fort Worth, TX

Latitude: 32.8 Longitude: -97.5

Observed by: Cynthia
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