Date: 09/29/2013

Number: 40

I pass this area frequently to go to the lake. I do not ever recall seeing these cottonwood trees at this intersection being used as a roosting areas. There are several different kinds of trees, Osage Orange, Bradford Pear, winged elm, and redbud, however the butterflies were lingering around the cottonwood trees. When the breeze blows through the leaves, it's hard to tell the butterflies from the leaves, the way they quake like an aspens. The butterflies took up their positions on the Southern sides of the trees facing the setting sun. This intersection is a bridge that goes over I-240 highway and into the Draper Lake area. We counted many more monarchs earlier that day on the West side of the lake--which will be recounted in a separate entry.

This was a complete surprise, we did not expect to see this at all. We revisited the site the next night (9/30/13) . The butterflies chose a different cottonwood in that area, and there were many more in that one tree than counted in both trees the previous night.

Midwest City, OK

Latitude: 35.4 Longitude: -97.4

Observed by: S.
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