Date: 10/02/2021

Number: 400

We were at Cherry Cove Gap on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Between 3-4:30, we saw 100s of Monarchs flying thru the gap. Some stopped to feed on the asters and goldenrod, and then continued their journey.

[Additional information contributed by observer, added by Journey North, 10/05/21]:

I live in FL and recently started spending my summers in NC. I have been planting butterfly gardens at home for the past 15 years, so being able to witness this was totally amazing.

We arrived at Cherry Cove Gap about 3pm. There was already a group of observers there, so we were all trying to count, but the numbers were too great, they just kept coming. I would say we were there for about 2 hours. From talking to others they had been coming at this rate for another 1hour before we got there. One gentleman had come up to that very spot every day last wee and this was the first day he saw the monarchs.

The Monarchs were definitely flying south. They were coming through the north side of the gap, over the parkway and continuing south. Most were not flying very high, almost like they were looking for nectar plants. They were stopping on the asters and some of the goldenrod. I was at the same location for about 1 hour on Monday before the rain set in and they were flying much higher, almost hard to see unless you were really looking.

Saturday the 6th it was partly cloudy with a light wind that kept shifting, sometimes coming from the south or the west.

We were out there again on Sunday, which was a gloomy day with just a little sun and counted 300 in 1 hr. The Monarchs were flying to the south again, but that day they had a headwind.

Canton, NC

Latitude: 35.5 Longitude: -82.8

Observed by: Bridget
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