Date: 09/16/2020

Number: 185

Observed about 125 monarchs nectaring around the time this picture was taken of some nectaring on Verbesiana virginica (1:30 pm). The nectar plants with the highest density of butterflies were Liatris scariosa neuilandii. The 3.5 acres where this picture was taken has a diverse variety of trees, shrubs, and native wildflowers, surrounded by large corn and soybean fields.

I counted as accurately as I could. This count for nectaring butterflies was made in about an hour, but I didn't time it. I made several counts of each section of each bed and used the highest number when totalling. Butterflies were flittering around so I may have counted some twice and not counted others at all. My large garden of tall wildflowers could only be counted from the perimeter as it is too dense to penetrate. Therefore, I only counted the butterflies nectaring at the top of the plants I could see and those flying just above the flowers. I would say this count was low as there were areas of the garden I couldn't observe.

There were additional monarchs resting in many of our trees and shrubs all day on all sides of our property except the south. Three areas I walked through just after counting the butterflies nectaring each had had 15 to 20 monarchs to fly out of the trees and shrubs. Fewer flew out elsewhere.

I did not actually see any monarchs flying on to or off of our property until dusk. Then butterflies flew in from all directions to roost.

Editor's note: see separate report for Roost for this day.

Waverly, IL

Latitude: 39.6 Longitude: -90

Observed by: Lois
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