Date: 09/16/2015

Number: 300

The number monarchs stopping on the flood plain below our house in central Illinois an estimate, only. The flood plain is exactly as it sounds -- a low, flat plain along a small creek formed by years of repeated flooding which drops sediment as the flood diminishes. The creek itself is lined with trees which the monarchs seem to like. The plain itself is covered with a mixture of tall grasses and wild flowers. They also like the flowers which, this time of year include lots of goldenrod, some purple asters, lavender thistles. Earlier flowers -- before the autumn monarch migration, flower included black-eyed susans, purple coneflower, and quite a bit of milkweed. Ah, milkweed -- where we found monarch caterpillars--but not nearly as many as are included in the south-bound migration we're witnessing.

I took this photo facing north, monarchs above the goldenrod. The tree-lined creek is behind me.

Tremont, IL

Latitude: 40.5 Longitude: -89.5

Observed by: Susan
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