Date: 03/23/2020

Number: 9

From around 2:20-2:50pm I walked about our yard and some of the pastures. It was a cloudy, breezy, warm afternoon around 78 degrees F, and very humid. I saw 9 individual monarchs. At least 6 of them were female as they were actively egg-laying.

We had steady rainstorms the two days before today ~ with over 4 inches of rainfall. Everything here is bursting with spring energy. The nectar wildflowers are abundant and the native milkweed (Asclepias viridis) is continuing to sprout and grow.

The monarchs were diligently flying low and finding fresh milkweed to lay their eggs on. They mostly kept a distance between each other, but at one point two were very close and air-tousled for a brief bit, then both came down and resumed milkweed-seeking. I continue to find eggs on many of the milkweed plants ~ and some 1st and 2nd instar larvae.

They females also nectared on yellow and pink thistles and rested and sunned at times. I did not see any males chasing the females at this time. They seemed to have the nursery to themselves!

This is a photo of one of beautiful & long-traveled monarchs laying her eggs on a milkweed today.

Montgomery, TX

Latitude: 30.4 Longitude: -95.8

Observed by: Kathy
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