Date: 04/21/2017

Number: 1

~ 3:30 pm today a faded female monarch left at least a dozen eggs on the purple milkweed sprouts in Monarch Waystation #271!!! Watched her for ~15 minutes after returning from an errand and got some photos. She was single-minded and busy, ignored all flowers, didn't stop to nectar. She flew low, would land on a leaf and if it wasn't a milkweed it was "touch and go" to the next plant, flying vigorously. When she'd find a milkweed sprout, she would either "touch and go" [maybe sensed she'd already laid an egg there?] or stop to lay an egg. She visited every single milkweed sprout [from less than 2 to more than 7 inches tall] she could find in the front. I didn't check the back; she was gone for a little bit, I took some pix of eggs [she left one egg per stem so far], then she came back to look over the milkweeds again, touch and go or lay an egg. I sat among the front sprouts with the camera and she pretty much ignored me, though a flash scared her up once. Whether it was the mid-80 degree temps that motivated her or just "my clock is ticking," it was GREAT to watch, my first springtime egg laying session. If it ever happened before, I was never home to see it, and I don't remember any springtime cats. Nearby weather data from the airport, ~10 mph W winds, ~50% sky cover, 48% rel humidity. Photo shows female laying an egg on purple milkweed with 2 previously deposited eggs on the plants in the frame, probably also hers.

Newport News, VA

Latitude: 37.1 Longitude: -76.5

Observed by: Judy
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