Date: 10/18/2015

Number: 100

We spent the morning at Beasley State Park on the beach (on the Gulf of Mexico) on Okaloosa Island. There were Gulf Fritillaries and Monarchs and Buckeyes every where! The Fritillaries are in their peak migration to the Florida peninsula and the Monarchs are in their peak migration to Mexico, so they are both all over the beaches. They were all feeding on several species of yellow asters and wild lantana. The Monarchs in the dunes seemed mostly intent on feeding, others on the beach were mostly flitting towards the west and out over the Gulf. It was sunny, temps in the high sixties and there was a strong northeasterly wind, approximately ten to twelve mph which was making it easy for the Monarchs but difficult for the Fritillaries. It was quite exhilarating to see all of the many butterflies!

They (monarchs and fritillaries) were out flying everywhere along Hwy 98 (which follows the beach for about two miles), the areas between the highway and the dunes, the dunes (which have various species of yellow asters which they flock to) and the beach. All up and down the strip. I am sure there were much more than 100 in that distance. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a camera with me. But this phenomenon is still taking place, so I guess I should head back out to the beach and take a few shots. I was only there for about fifteen minutes with my husband. We went specifically to check them out. I wanted to show him up close. I have been going there frequently for the past two weeks to watch the hundreds and hundreds of fritillaries that migrate through (incidentally, this visit was the first time I saw any monarchs there). That in itself is an exciting spectacle to see. On some days you can stand at the edge of the dunes and watch them fly right by you in groups of twenty to thirty, one group after the other. Of course, each year they are migrating east to the peninsula of Florida (I am located in the panhandle of Fla.) so most of them follow the beach. During this visit, you could see the fritillaries heading east and the monarchs attempting to head west (the east wind was making it difficult for them, though). We have a pavilion and boardwalk down to the beach. Between the pavilion and the dunes on the beach, there is a closed in stretch which is filled with these flowering plants that the different species of butterflies all flock to for nectaring. Relating to your last question, just right in this small area, I would say it was about equal numbers feeding, flitting around and flying westerly.

Fort Walton Beach, FL

Latitude: 30.4 Longitude: -86.6

Observed by: Anne
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