Date: 09/23/2018

Number: 270

Bright, sunny 21C with a Southeast wind causing whitecaps on Lake Erie. My son and I attended the Festival of Hawks at Holiday Beach Conservation Area. After arriving around 12:45 we noticed a few Monarchs fluttering around. Some puddling, some meandering. Just before 14:00 we started to notice them flying in a definite Southwest direction. They seemed to be descending as they approached the marsh/wetland abutting Lake Erie. We observed them from the Hawk Tower using both our binoculars and the naked eye. They were flying singly at altitudes varying from two to three times tree height to just above the ground. Using the binoculars we were able to observe that as they approached the lake's edge they seemed to hesitate and then disappear behind a mature Cottonwood on private property flying further west. Around 15:15 we decided to head to the lake to see if we could see where they were headed. Some were crossing the lake! Using the binoculars I could see them flying Southwest into the wind flapping their wings constantly about a metre above the waves. In a ten minute period I saw 10 singles and one pair crossing and one heading back. I watched until they disappeared out of my field of vision. I am not sure if we can assume that the rest crossed as well or continued further west crossing at the mouth of the Detroit River?

Amherstburg, ON

Latitude: 42 Longitude: -83

Observed by: Laura
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