Date: 09/20/2018

Number: 1000

A hot day (mid 90s) and the wind was blowing this evening. We walked out to the field at 6pm and it was ALIVE with Monarchs, for the 3rd day in a row. They definitely showed a preference for the fresh heliopsis (rough false sunflower?) that popped up in the mowed strips, vs. the masses of tall goldenrod in the areas left unmowed. They held on tight to the flower heads, as the wind tossed the plants back and forth.
So much activity!
But as the sun started to go down, their numbers lessened. It was difficult to track where they were going ...individually leaving the field in different directions. By sunset, the field was empty. Along the wooded edges, I found a few roosting here and there, in hackberry, black walnut, dogwood shrubs, honeysuckle. They really blend in when roosting on bare, dead looking branches. I wonder if that’s a little trick of nature.
Questions: is this the same group of monarchs, nectaring and roosting for the last 3 days? Or has a new batch arrived each day? I need to be there round the clock!

Golden Eagle, IL

Latitude: 38.9 Longitude: -90.6

Observed by: Lisa
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