Date: 08/17/2020

Number: 12

Quite an interesting walk yesterday on the Stower Seven Lakes Trail (at Deronda).
Strong northern winds so it should have been a perfect day for migrating. Instead we found a dozen or two monarchs seeking shelter in the trees along the Stower trail (an old railroad line). Temp was about 75,mid afternoon, bright blue sky with fluffy clouds, and the monarchs were acting almost as if it were evening and they needed to roost right NOW. Definitely was fun. The most we saw was four or five at once. Can't call it a true roost or cluster, but we did see two or three sharing a branch a time or two.
Went back in the evening when the wind had died down but could find no monarchs. I suspect they had headed south as the afternoon progressed looking for nectar and an evening roost.
All monarchs looked new and gorgeous. Hard to tell if they were migrating, but I suspect they were and we just caught them at an afternoon stopover.
Farmers are cutting their alfalfa just as it starts to blossom, so tough to find good nectaring fields for migrating monarchs.

Town of Garfield, WI

Latitude: 45.3 Longitude: -92.4

Observed by: Pat
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