Date: 08/28/2013

Number: 10

Monarch situation east of Cobourg (north shore of Lake Ontario, about 135 km east of Toronto) was dismal today. In the same field that I collected 60 monarchs per hour last year......10 over a couple of hours. I did not see any new egg laying and found only one egg. Only a few small caterpillars found. In this huge alfalfa field, it was easy to spot single monarchs about 100 feet away, feeding on the top. With careful stalking and capture, given monarchs are so scarce, 100% capture rate today.

All monarchs were very large and fresh individuals, many clearly heading in a westward direction.

In the same alfalfa field, a few other common species - all fresh - including a beautiful Giant Swallowtail (and they only became more common in Ontario in recent days). New on the scene: preying mantises; milkweed bugs.

Cobourg, ON

Latitude: 44 Longitude: -78.2

Observed by: Donald A.
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