Date: 09/12/2019

Number: 1000

Amazing migration this year! 1000’s of monarchs steaming off southern Lake Huron and resting in the maple and pine trees just off the beach.

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

The monarchs have been coming inland off Lake Huron. Sept. 9 to Sept. 16. They are always in my view, 5 to 7 at a time. The neighbours noticed them roosting about 6 pm on Sept . 11th, 2019. I went down our street (about 500 feet off the beach) about 7 pm. It was about 75 ‘ F. I watched them streaming inland for about an hour till it was dark and they were still coming in and landing on maple trees and pine trees filling the branches. As they landed they would cause a few butterflies to shift position and flutter around the branches before settling down again. They were still resting on the tree branches in the morning before 8 am. 100’s of butterflies were in each tree. There were about 7 or 8 trees covered with the monarchs. So I guessed 1000.

Since I reset my outdoor thermometer each morning, the night time low this week was about 58’F and the day time high was about 78’F. The lake was fairly calm and the wind was out of the north.

Many were feeding on fall flowers in my yard and neighbouring yards. It was not unusual to see 8 to 10 at a time in my yard any time of the day and/or flying south down the street from the beach. Nectar sources were scarce near the beach/roost trees and that is likely why they were visiting the neighbours yards this week ...150 to 600 feet off the beach.

The trees the monarch choose to roost in each night were about 200 feet off the beach. There were 2 or 3 rows of trees and row of houses between their roost trees and the beach. They would have some shelter from the wind. The wind was not very strong from the north either night.

This was an amazing event.
The last time I saw something like this was with 1971 or 1972 about the 19th of Sept. We had many Honey Locust trees in our yard about 500 feet off Lake Huron. The trees were full of Monarchs. They arrived about 6 pm and stayed overnight. I was a teacher at that time and was almost late for school. About 8:30, they all opened their wings up. I couldn’t stay long even to see them fly away, but they were all gone by 4pm that afternoon.
I’ll never forget that.
Just as I will never forget this year’s experience with the monarchs.

Plympton-Wyoming, ON

Latitude: 43 Longitude: -82.1

Observed by: Judy
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