Date: 11/24/2021

Number: 2

What I believe to be a female Monarch (it did not have a black spot on the back bottom of its wings) was in my yard for five days, from 11/24/2021 through 11/28/21. It seemed to be dazed or injured when I first saw it, and it couldn’t fly well. It kept ending up in the middle of my yard. I took care of it over the days, using a stick that it could get onto to carry it to the plants it seemed drawn to and making sure it was safe. I fed it lantana. Anytime I brought lantana to it, it immediately crawled on it and began to drink. I had the absolute pleasure of witnessing this and seeing it so close. And the monarch got stronger! It began to fly better, staying in the air longer and flying more steadily around my yard and for farther distances. It stayed in my yard until yesterday. I haven’t seen it since then. I’m hoping it is well and off doing what it is “she’s” supposed to do. :)

On 11/26/21 in the morning, I found another monarch in the middle of my yard. This one had a torn wing and it was not well at all. I tried to help it in a similar way, including providing sugar water, and gently trying to coax it to drink. It would move its proboscis some, and I was even able to tenderly unfurl the proboscis, but it would not drink. It seemed to have trouble unfurling it. This monarch was very weak and was leaning to its side. I placed a box beneath where it was hanging on to the lantana in case it fell. It did fall into the box, and it died later that day.

I have more pictures and video if you would like to see them.

Thank you for allowing me to share this experience, which was so amazing for me.

-Lisa

Metairie, LA

Latitude: 30 Longitude: -90.2

Observed by: Lisa
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