Date: 09/20/2022

Number: 300

Point Pelee National Park at the Tip 5:45-7:25 Sunset 7:30
23°c & cloudy with rain in the forecast & SE wind @ 8/11kmh.
Daytime high 24c, overnight low 18c.
On drive down to Tip observed at Tip gate 3 monarchs individually roosted on vines above road.
Continued driving down to Tip. Observed about 10 monarchs sipping nectar from Woodland sunflowers near Sparrow field.
Goldenrod is senesced & Woodland Sunflowers need a good drink.
Drought conditions & driest summer ever.
At Tip shuttle stop observed a few small clusters of 2's & 3's already established & many monarchs flitting about.

6:15 Further south in Tip interior trees just a few small clusters already established on hackberry tree. No monarchs seen flying around. South wind is blowing through trees.

Returned to shuttle stop.
Thunder heard in the distance.

6:45 big rush of monarchs flying in from the north at treetop height & into tip shuttle area trees. (Video)
Thunder & it began to lightly rain. Monarchs quickly settled.
Observed 5 different areas of clusters establishing on east & west sides of Hackberry trees & on vines cascading down over road.
Clusters of 5, 8, 10, 40, 45 & 100. Difficult to see to count as they were sheltered under tree canopy & one cluster was way up high 60' & due to cloud/rain it was dark.
From what I could see before the rain most looked pristine.

Observations by eye, binoculars, camera & clicker.

More photos & a video here-
https://www.facebook.com/PeleeParadiseSanctuaryMonarchWaystation10275

Point Pelee National Park, ON

Latitude: 41.9 Longitude: -82.5

Observed by: Darlene
Contact Observer

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