Date: 09/21/2019
Number: 5000
This was on Stuenkel Road, thousands of them.
Editor's note: contacted observer for more details on this sighting
I was told of the flock on 9-21 (Saturday) so they probably arrived on the evening of the 20th and I went on 9-22 (Sunday).
It was cool and raining. A friend of mine went to the location both in the morning and the evening of the 20th and said the the flock was even larger in the evening. We had a lot of rain on the 20th and in to early morning of the 21st. I went down around 9:00 am on the 21st, it had just stopped raining. There were many flying, but mostly just roosting.
The overnight temps were low to mid 60’s.
The Monarchs were in maples and surrounded by farmland (mostly corn and soy beans around here), and fields, goldenrod and wild asters, Queens Anne Lace are all plentiful right now.
Winds were strong out of the south. The only protection would have been in the trees they were in.
We arrived at our number of 5000, by counting clumps and estimating how many per clump and how many clumps. Of course, there were many flying around.
Today is a beautiful, sunny day and I was just told that they are gone.
Frankfort, IL
Latitude: 41.5 Longitude: -87.9
Observed by: Dawn
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