Date: 08/15/2015

Number: 200

It is hot and windy (south) here today with some Monarchs in the trees and many in the surrounding native grass. This is the same area where we had the large fall roost last year (8-31-14). I would estimate the number at 200, all looking very fresh. Did not expect to see a group of Monarchs this early in the season.

The photo was taken around noon or shortly after on 8-15. I went out on 8-16 and found a similar number of Monarchs in the same area but they had moved a bit to avoid the wind that had switched to the northwest overnight. They where in smaller roosts, the largest was about 60 in number and easily 200 total for the site. I have to assume the Monarchs were there on 8-14 as well but I did not check for them. It was hot, 97F with wind out of the south when I got to our farm on 8-14 at about 3 pm. The wind was strong from the south and it was hot on Saturday (8-15) so the Monarchs were down low shaded in the grass and a Smooth wild rose thicket. This should give you some idea of the temperatures for the time period.

http://w1.weather.gov/data/obhistory/KFAR.html

We have about 200 acres of Tallgrass prairie on our farm, some native and some restored. The site where the Monarchs were located is a prairie remnant of about 10 acres with two areas of medium maturity ( 60 foot) Cottonwood trees surrounded by native grass and forbs. This has been a staging area over the years as the Monarchs can always escape the wind whatever the direction. The vegetation is very lush this year on this site coupled with the shade from the trees offers a good place to stay cool in the heat. We do not raise Monarchs but make our best effort to provide habitat for them. On the 160 acres of restored prairie I own and manage no chemicals are used and we time maintenance burns prior to the arrival of the Monarchs.

Our grassland is part of a larger contiguous grassland complex (privately owned) that borders Campbell beach of glacial Lake Agassiz. Most of this grassland is undisturbed and provides ideal summer habitat for the Monarchs. Some is native Tallgrass prairie and some is restored and a fen area runs parallel to the glacial beach.

Barnesville, MN

Latitude: 46.7 Longitude: -96.3

Observed by: Doug
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