Date: 09/04/2020

Number: 200

Hundreds of Monarchs are roosting in trees in my backyard.

I first noticed the roost on Friday, Sept. 4, and they were still there yesterday, Sept. 5, when a friend came to visit. She remarked that she hadn’t seen so many in one place since she was a kid (she’s now about 60) and it brought back childhood memories, which prompted us to find your website. The roost might have formed even earlier since I don’t go so far back into my backyard every day, but I first noticed it on Sept. 4 as I was mowing along the west side of my lawn, adjacent to the neighbor’s trees, and with every tree I passed, dozens flew out all around me.

I estimated hundreds since I passed about 10 trees and with each tree I could see numerous monarch butterflies, and they flew about as I passed by. I estimate there were more than one to two dozen on each of the lower branches on these trees. So 200 hundred would be a reasonable estimate.

I live in a small town, among other houses and we’re all adjacent to nearby farms and vineyards. There are many mature backyard trees, and where the roost was located, there is an assortment of maples, walnuts, spruce, aspen, and locust. In my backyard, we maintain two hummingbird feeders, two oriole feeders (with oranges and jelly), along with a large assortment of flowers. There are many other flowers throughout the neighborhood. So, yes, there are nectar sources.

On Friday Sept. 4, it was 60 F at midnight, and 45 F by 6:30am on Sept. 5.
On Sept. 5, it was about 59 F at midnight and about 50 F around 6:30 am the morning of Sept. 6.

Wind in this area is generally out of the west. The butterflies were on the eastern edge of probably 200 feet of woodlands stretching to the west, so they were well shielded from wind at this location. Winds were generally light, ranging up to 5-10 mph from either the northwest of the southwest on those two nights.

Geneva, NY

Latitude: 42.8 Longitude: -77

Observed by: Bruce
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