Date: 09/15/2022
Number: 3
As I have noted in several of my previous sightings, I work at the University Park Airport in State College, PA (e.g., 9/8/2022). Occasionally, especially during the Monarch fall migration, we will see a Monarch Butterfly heading across our airport ramp.
However, today that changed a bit. Within the span of about two hours, while turning the flight from Philadelphia, I saw three Monarch Butterflies cross our ramp. The first came by at about 11:54 AM, flying between 5 and 20 feet above the ground, heading SSW. The second flew by at about 12:34 PM, flying between 1 and 20 feet above the ground, heading WSW. The third, flying a bit more erratically than the previous two at about 1:23 PM, was headed generally in a SSW direction.
I don't know if three butterflies constitutes a "wave," but this has been our "peak" thus far this year, certainly good evidence that it's migration time.
Pulling data from "The Weather Undergound" web site for State College (KUNV), here is the data for the time span covering today's observations:
| Time | Temperature | Dew Point | Humidity | Wind Direction | Wind Speed | Air Pressure | Sky |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:53 AM | 63 °F | 52 °F | 68 % | NE | 8 mph | 28.90 in | Mostly Cloudy |
| 11:53 AM | 64 °F | 48 °F | 56 % | CALM | 0 mph | 28.90 in | Partly Cloudy |
| 12:53 PM | 66 °F | 50 °F | 56 % | N | 6 mph | 28.89 in | Partly Cloudy |
| 1:53 PM | 70 °F | 48 °F | 46 % | NNE | 7 mph | 28.87 in | Fair |
| 2:53 PM | 70 °F | 46 °F | 43 % | NNE | 5 mph | 28.85 in | Fair |
| 3:53 PM | 72 °F | 48 °F | 43 % | N | 6 mph | 28.84 in | Fair |
- Tim
Latitude: 40.851°N and Longitude: 77.850°W
State College, PA
Latitude: 40.9 Longitude: -77.9
Observed by: R. Timothy
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