Date: 07/12/2018

Number: 10

We saw many monarchs along the Snoqualmie river at the Tolt McDonald Park. I believe there may have been some milkweed but I'm not sure. The monarchs were fluttering around each other and even mounting each other in what looked like mating behavior? Sometimes they even briefly clustered in groups of four but not for long.

I am quite certain these were monarchs. They were large, orange and had the distinctive markings and wing shape of monarchs but unfortunately I don’t have pictures. These were spotted along the Snoqualmie River on a gravel bar of the river at the Tolt McDonald Park, and a number of my friends witnessed them as well. This gravel bar had a number of plants growing on it that looked like they could be milkweed. Nearby was a swampy little lagoon. Over the course of the weekend we mostly saw them in one’s and two’s, at various sites along the river. The most I saw close together was a cluster of four that temporarily bunched up and then divided back into pairs. (We were so curious as to why!) There were about 6 that I could count at one time in the same vicinity. During that same hour of hiking we saw about three or four more farther up river about 15-20 minutes later, so that’s why I say ten.

When we saw the largest number was early afternoon on Friday, July 13th. (This is when I saw the cluster of four.) This was on the gravel bar I was talking about. It was the hottest part of the day when the sun was highest in the sky, so I’m estimating 1 or 2 p.m.?

They left such an impression on me: this is why I felt compelled to report them.

Fall City, WA

Latitude: 47.6 Longitude: -121.9

Observed by: Sarah
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