Date: 09/05/2019

Number: 733

On our way to Point Pelee and running late as we kept stopping along Kings Highway 3 in the Kingsville/Leamington area whenever we saw monarchs flitting about the treelines. No significant numbers noted just groups of 5 or 6. Always on the north side of the tree lines though. On the east side of Leamington where Essex Road 33 intersects with Essex Road 34 at the southeast corner as we were driving through the intersection I saw some Monarch activity in a grove of trees left to Mother Nature. We turned around, parked on the shoulder of the road and ventured onto the property at approximately 19:30. Monarchs were flitting about everywhere and more were arriving from the direction of an Oversized Greenhouse Complex flying at tree top height south across Essex Road 34. Some had already established their roosts. All the monarchs we observed arriving joined larger already established roosts. Roosts were noted in six separate very mature trees (Pine, 2 Spruce, Mulberry, Apple and Oak) on the north side of each tree except the Oak which had a dozen on its west side . In the Pine, Spruce and Oak all the roosts were relatively low on the tree. In the Apple and Mullberry the roosts were near the top. The largest and most tightly clustered roost was in the Mulberry tree which was also the furthest south (300.) 173 in the Pine, 150 in the Apple. Temperature was 19°C according to my dashboard. No clouds. No notable wind. It had been a beautiful sunshiny day in Essex County. Forecast low of 12 with a dew point of 13. This grove of trees has an abundance of goldenrod just beginning to bloom should they need nectar in the morning. Counting was done visually cluster by cluster using my binoculars and calling out the counts to my son who had the calculator. A family who was on the way back from a journey to Point Pelee to see Monarchs noticed us and the Monarchs and stopped to take some photos. We shared our observations with them and they were quite pleased, as were we.

Leamington, ON

Latitude: 42.1 Longitude: -82.6

Observed by: Laura
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