Date: 09/09/2019

Number: 2000

Fall roost of thousands were seen by owners in grove of oaks during gentle rain on 9/9 at Prairie Spirit Farm. Tuesday morning they were out nectaring on goldenrod.

Editor's note: contacted observer for more details on this sighting

Prairie Spirit Wildlife Sanctuary

Owners don't know when roost arrived but on morning 9/9 there was a dramatic change in numbers of monarchs flying about.
Owner first checked the oak savanna draw because 3 years ago there was a monarch roost in the same draw.
Owner's description of the roost:
-Monarchs were roosting on both the east and west side of the draw.
-There was a light rain mid-morning and kept the monarchs in the roost.
- stacked on top of each other, hundreds in a clump, hanging like you see in the pictures.
-think thousands in a single tree and they were roosting in lots of trees.
-too many, hard to estimate, but thinking many, many thousands.

9/10 they were flying around and nectaring on the goldenrod. 110 acres is in open prairie, some oak savanna also has good stands of showy goldenrod.

Weather approximations:
9/9 high ~ 65, low ~55, light rain early to mid-morning?
9/10 early morning ~11:30pm to 5:00am, significant storm with 1.25" rain, wind, lightning.
temp at 5:00am ~65. afternoon high low 80s.

The two rows of oaks as outlined in the location photo are on each side of a draw running north-south. From the east side the draw runs about 60- 70' deep, so there is the availability of shelter on lower branches.

Springdale, WI

Latitude: 43 Longitude: -89.6

Observed by: Bonnie
Contact Observer

The observer's e-mail address will not be disclosed.
Contact will be made through a web-based form.