Date: 09/04/2021

Number: 7

At the beach, one by one, at least 7 adults made their way across the beach. May have been some of the same ones that had visited my yard earlier in the day.

[Report moved from Monarch Adult Sighted to Monarch PEAK Migration by Journey North, 09/07/21; additional information contributed by observer, added by Journey North, 09/07/21]: . . .in yard from 11am to about 1pm. . . The monarchs came down the lane from the NE, following the road, and cut diagonally into my yard. They flew about 12 ft above ground. They did not arrive all at once, but came at intervals maybe 15 minutes or so apart. They all spent time feeding on my patch of ligularia which started to bloom about the middle of August. At most, there were 2-3 monarchs feeding at one time. When they finished, they flew SW across my patio to the hill above, onto Winshaw Rd. I think we left for Eiseman's beach around 1 or 1:30. The beach is about a mile south of my house. It was low tide. Sitting in my beach chair, I noticed the occasional monarch making it's way across SW along the beach, without stopping. I counted 7 in all. They flew at various altitudes, Some flew about 20-30 feet above the beach, and some flew 5-10 feet. There was a good breeze out of the southwest all day, and it was sunny, about 75-80 degrees. I did not see any monarchs in my yard the next day, Sunday. It was cloudy and overcast. On Monday, I saw 7 more monarchs come in the same time period, about noon to 2:00, once again feeding on the ligularia. One in particular spent quite a long time feeding, maybe an hour. There were 1-2 feeding at a time. When a third tried to get in, a squabble would start. They flew in the same flight pattern, about 10-12 feet off the ground, coming from the NE along the lane, and turning into my yard. After feeding, they flew SW across the patio up to Winshaw Rd. Today, I worked in the yard much of the day from 11am -5pm. I saw 5 single adults fly through the yard at different times in the same pattern, but they did not stop to feed. It was sunny and 75 degrees today with the wind out of the west.

Swampscott, MA

Latitude: 42.5 Longitude: -70.9

Observed by: Lisa
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