Date: 09/11/2013

Number: 24

Like some others, I have been seeing more Monarchs this past week than at any time in the last year. Each evening, I've counted from 15 to 31 Monarchs at the roosting site on my property. During the day there are always about a dozen nectaring on the asters. Last year at this time, I had seen only one Monarch.There have also been more butterflies of other species, probably due to the unseasonably warm weather we've had. I've seen all the usual painted ladies, red admirals, mourning cloaks, question marks, , blues, pearl crescents, whites, and various swallowtails. I was also excited to see three giant cloudless sulfurs that strayed northward (44* latitude). I hope the Monarchs have good traveling conditions.

I used to have a spectacular number of monarchs roost on my property - thousands of them. Last year, I saw one, yes one. This year it is better, but not wonderful. i only hope they can somehow recover. Sept. 11 was the first night I saw the butterflies roosting.There were about 2 dozen that I saw, but there are 6 acres here that I devote mostly to butterfly habitat, so I'm sure I don't see all of them. From sept. 12 to the 22nd., I only saw a few each evening - less than 10. On the 23rd., it picked up, and there were 2 -3 dozen each night through the 28th. Last evening (9/29), numbers were down to just a few. It was s chilly day with strong wind. The nectar sources I have blooming right now are lots of asters, late phlox, cosmos, zinnias, goldenrod, black-eyed susan, and d few late purple coneflowers. The Monarchs favor the asters.

Courtesy of Monarch Watch

Shell Rock, IA

Latitude: 42.7 Longitude: -92.6

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