Date: 09/03/2016

Number: 2000

Photo shows approx 50 of the 1500-2000 total number of monarchs we saw with my father in his tree belt in southern New Hope Township, SD, 21 miles SW of Aberdeen on 9/3/2016-- they were resting on the Eastern Red Cedar trees as approx 25 mph South wind was blowing.

The farm has a lot of pasture, hay land & shelterbelts all with a variety of grasses and forbes including alfalfa, sweet clover, a few natives like leadplant, false indigo, and "weeds" like goldenrod. Over night temps were estimated at 65F. The monarch were shielded from the wind. It seemed to me like they had moved through the tree belt until they were near the South end and decided to stop and roost in these 3 red cedar trees that were almost at the extreme South edge because to continue South would have put them back out in the strong headwind and it was late afternoon when the wind might soon start to die down. Photo was taken around 4:30pm

New Hope Township, SD

Latitude: 45.3 Longitude: -98.6

Observed by: Eric
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