Date: 10/01/2020

Number: 17

Another interesting weather day in Harrisville along the Lake Huron shoreline. The morning was partly sunny and 52F. at 10 AM when I decided to try and count the monarchs. I walked to the beach at Harrisville State Park and began my count at 10:30 AM and observed no monarchs to 11:27 AM when I saw my first one migrating south 100' high overhead. I then counted 3 more overhead at about 50' high to 12:30 AM. It was now 53F. with the Wind turning from the WSW at 5 mph to the NW at 10-15 mph. I could see the front coming down from the north with very dark clouds and rain curtains. My friend (Larry) joined me at 1 PM, and we counted 8 more heading south 20 to 40' high over the beach to 1:30 PM when it began to rain. He also told me he saw a monarch at the entrance to the park on his way in. He bicycled home before the rain fell. I walked home and my wife wanted to drive to town as the rain stopped where we saw one monarch at 1st Street and Church Street on a purple flowered butterfly shrub nectaring at 3 PM. We continued to the harbor where we observed 2 more monarchs nectaring on goldenrod flowers at 3:05 PM. We arrived back home at 4 PM with snow flurries coming down which lasted to 4:25 PM. I saw no more monarchs at our house to 5:27 PM when it rained heavily to 5:45 PM. The Temperature is now 57F. under misty conditions.

My friend (Larry) phoned me at 7 PM and said he observed a monarch in town on his way home from his watch with me at Harrisville State Park. He saw it at 1:45 PM as it started to sprinkle out. [This makes the total count 17]

Harrisville, MI

Latitude: 44.6 Longitude: -83.3

Observed by: Frank
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