Date: 10/16/2011

Number: 1

There was a small wave of migrating monarchs through our yard in Gaithersburg, MD this morning around 9:30. They stopped to nectar on Mexican flame vine, Lantana, New England aster, New York aster, seaside goldenrod, small white aster, blue Salvia, and assorted single-flowered mums. We headed down to Kent Island on the eastern shore of the bay and arrived there around 11am. The fields at Terrapin Park had good amounts of white heath aster and small white aster, and just a few remaining tickseed sunflowers. The bushiest clumps of asters had multiple monarchs nectaring. Other butterflies also nectaring were: red admiral, buckeye, clouded sulphur, orange sulphur, cloudless sulphur, sleepy orange, pearl crescent, eastern tailed blue, and one unidentified skipper. Wind was from the SW at 10-20mph. Even so, monarchs were migrating. Since the wind was too strong for crossing the Chesapeake, they hugged the shoreline. Around 3pm we drove down to the southern point of the island and saw monarchs migrating as we drove along. At the tip, we saw monarchs, but instead of crossing over water in those winds, they were circling back. There were dense forests of loblolly pine at that location, so roosting spots were available to them. If anyone lives on Kent Island, you may see some good roosts near the point at sunrise.

Courtesy of Monarch Watch

Gaithersburg, MD

Latitude: 39.1 Longitude: -77.2

Observed by:
Contact Observer

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