Date: 05/09/2012

Number: 1

I saw 5 Monarchs today, by far the earliest I have ever seen one, near Lake Ontario in Scarborough (near Rouge Hills Dr). Check out pictures at this link:

https://picasaweb.google.com/116443885866923348351/MonarchsInScarborough9May2012#

Those I could identify with certainty were female and they seemed to be searching for Milkweed – unsuccessfully, I am sorry to report. I followed one female for over 30 minutes and she stopped to nectar on dandelions and Garlic Mustard and lit on a number of leafy plants, none of them milkweed. She made no attempt to oviposit. I was able to find only 2 A. syriaca plants - which were between one and two inches high. It would seem from this and other reports, the Monarchs have arrived early – before the milkweed is readily available.

Courtesy of Monarch Watch

Scarborough, ON

Latitude: 43.8 Longitude: -79.3

Observed by: Jim
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