Date: 09/23/2016

Number: 500

For a few hours in the late afternoon today I observed 500 Monarchs per hour flying SW along Lake Erie in the direction of Pt. Pelee. This is by far the highest count this year at this location. Up until a week or 10 days ago Monarchs around here have been as scarce as hens' teeth. All the butterflies that I observed to day were flying about 200 feet above Lake Erie shore-line cliffs (Orford bluffs) at Clearville Park. They were all flying at a leisurely pace with a small tail wind driving them forward. Unfortunately this didn't last long because a storm front came through after about 1 hour of observation which shifted the winds to the west. I think the butterflies used that opportunity to drop down in the trees in the surrounding forest or risk be driven out over the lake which is 80 miles wide at this point.

Clearville Park, ON

Latitude: 42.5 Longitude: -81.7

Observed by: Steve
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