Date: 04/11/2022

Number: 20

At 12 noon it was 80 degrees F, sunny, wind 21mph from the S, with 60% humidity. Female monarchs fluttering low looking for milkweed & egg-laying. Males nectaring from thistles and sailing around ~ often chasing females & sometimes making a capture. I saw one such capture and the mated pair in the grass.

In another such instance, I was watching a female seeking milkweed to lay her eggs on. A male chased her and they flew wildly upward & zigzagged at high speeds...not far from the start of this adventure. The male was following closely, but he couldn't seem to find her in the grass. That was not going to stop him from fluttering inches from the grass back and forth right where she was hidden. I myself was waiting for him to give up, so she could go back to egg-laying and I could hopefully get a photo. He persisted so I videoed him instead for 3.5 minutes of his focused fluttering. My patience in the wind was not as strong as theirs, so I am not sure of the outcome, but it was fascinating to see the determination & tactics.

This afternoon I did a milkweed survey for monarch eggs & larvae. I will add those results to Monarch Egg Sighted and Monarch Larva Sighted reports.

This is a photo of one of the female monarchs today finding just the right milkweed to lay her eggs on.

Dobbin, TX

Latitude: 30.4 Longitude: -95.8

Observed by: Kathy
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