Date: 10/25/2011

Number: 10

For the last five days of benign weather, there has been a small but steady stream of migrating monarchs here on West Island in Buzzard's Bay. . I observed 5-10 monarchs per hour Saturday (10/22) and Sunday (10/23) late morning on the dunes and saltmarsh. The dry winds of Hurricane Irene killed the flowering cycle (although not the whole plant) of much of the Solidago sempervirens that draws the monarchs to the coast. There has been some flowering Solidago along the buffer of the saltmarsh but it requires more work to find it. On Columbus Day weekend, migrating monarchs were primarily using native asters for nectar; now they are reduced to late-flowering dandelions. Most that I have seen look fresh in color but there is even less to nectar on than usual because of the Hurricane, so I can't imagine they have much fat. Honestly, with the steady and persistent removal of native plants in favor of non-native plants, i can't see how they survive at all.

In general there was significantly less activity at my waystation this year than last year, but the weather on the island was damp and cool for much of the summer. Favorable butterfly weather really seemed to start in late August.

Saw five monarchs this morning from 10 am to 11 am; all fresh looking fighting the adverse winds (NW and SW both in play) at the dunes on the edge of the saltmarsh on West Island. Some new blooming seaside goldenrod has come back after Irene for them to use but none of the five I saw were nectaring. They were either flying hard and low, getting blown back, and/or resting in the dunes. We live in the teeth of a howling gale out here, so I am always amazed that we are on the migration route...

Courtesy of Monarch Watch

Buzzard's Bay, MA

Latitude: 41.6 Longitude: -70.8

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