Date: 10/09/2020

Number: 100

Near the Fire Island Light House yesterday afternoon. I saw a number of roosts but this was the biggest. And the biggest I have even seen. This was taken at 5:58 just before sundown. clear skies, high 60s, light wind. my guess is about 100 in this roost. A few others about 50. others that I could not see.

The roosts were in an area that I had walked through earlier. I walked for about 2 hours between 3:30 and 5:30 and observed the roosts from about 5:30 to sundown about 6:20. The roosts are also only visible from the boardwalk. I am not permitted to walk out into the dunes to look for other sites or to get a different angle. so those views are limited. It's been my experience that the roosts are usually on the east side of trees. I have not noted the wind direction with roosts. I have assumed that they are trying to position themselves to get the morning sun. Some of the areas of goldenrod were big patched while others were more interspersed with dune grasses and other plants. Yesterday the butterflies were widely dispersed. There were a few plants that had several butterflies, but I'd say none had more than 4.

For the roosts I just guessed at the number. I did not try to count them.

The roosts were in an area that I had walked through earlier. I walked for about 2 hours between 3:30 and 5:30 and observed the roosts from about 5:30 to sundown about 6:20. The roosts are also only visible from the boardwalk. I am not permitted to walk out into the dunes to look for other sites or to get a different angle. so those views are limited.

It's been my experience that the roosts are usually on the east side of trees. I have not noted the wind direction with roosts. I have assumed that they are trying to position themselves to get the morning sun.

There is goldenrod spread out on both sides of the path.

[See PEAK migration report from same date]

Bay Shore, NY

Latitude: 40.6 Longitude: -73.2

Observed by: Bob
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