Date: 10/28/2015

Number: 500

Monarchs resting on leeward side of tallow trees, also many seen flying, nectar-feeding. Temperature ~70°F, sunny, wind 15-20kt. Some adults appeared worn, others very fresh. Some mating.

Our observation was at 10:15 CDT (time stamp on photo). Overnight temps in low 60sF. Extensive nectar sources, primarily goldenrod, Eupatorium, Baccharis, over many acres (this is an overgrown, elevated berm along Mississippi Sound, not sure of elevation but at least 30 ft). Wind direction was primarily from S, 15-20kt, and monarchs were on the N (leeward) side of the trees.

We do bird surveys at this site. We noted large numbers of monarchs flying here on 10/21/2015, but there were more on the report date (10/28) and we didn’t see anything we’d call a roost before 10/28. I believe this has been a monarch site for a number of years, as we commented on it in field notes in 2010 and 2014. Our surveys end at the end of October, so I wouldn’t normally have a chance to say how long the roost lasts. If it’s important, we can probably get permission to check a couple of times (it’s a restricted access site).

In general, we see a lot of monarchs on the beaches of Jackson County Mississippi, especially along marshes and dunes that have been allowed to vegetate with flowering plants. This has been true as long as I’ve lived here (since 2005). They probably took a big hit after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 because there were no flowers on the coast that year, but nobody was counting. There are lots now.

Editor's note: We've re-dated this report from 10/28 to 10/27, the night the roost formed.

Pascagoula, MS

Latitude: 30.4 Longitude: -88.6

Observed by: Janet
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