Date: 04/16/2018

Number: 6

From about 10:30 to 11:30 this morning I went about the pastures and saw 6 individual monarchs. It was a bright, sunny morning around 72 degrees F, with a light breeze, and 33% humidity. I followed 2 female monarchs as they went about looking for suitable milkweed and laid eggs. Both had faded and somewhat tattered wings, but they were active and sprightly. They sometimes took rest/sunbathing breaks and drank dew from the grass. There were males about at the same time. They were flying, nectaring on milkweed blossoms, and resting/sunning. At one point as I followed one of the egg-laying females, she was spotted by a male and he chased her. They flew up into the trees out of my sight. Pretty quickly she was back, she rested for a bit, then went on with seeking milkweed and egg-laying. This is a photo of this beautiful female monarch as she is laying an egg on milkweed that she found deep in some uncut wild grasses. You may also be able to see two of her freshly laid eggs on the lower right milkweed leaf.

Montgomery, TX

Latitude: 30.4 Longitude: -95.8

Observed by: Kathy
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