Date: 09/22/2022

Number: 2

I caught sight of 2 monarchs going into an arborvitae which is right alongside our pollinator garden( full of flowers and milkweed). It was 4:30pm on September 22nd and it was still warm outside, and a little windy.

[Report moved from Monarch Fall Roost to Monarch Adult Sighted by Journey North, additional information contributed by observer, 09/27/22]:

We have planted a pollinator garden in my backyard the last 3 or 4 years. There are several types of milkweed in addition to a lot of pollinator flowers. There are actually two substantial pollinator sites in my backyard alone (which is suburban), and my neighbors also have a lot of pollinator feeding spots in their adjacent backyard. I have a ton of hummingbirds and the past 2 years or so, we have started to notice the Monarchs. I actually had no idea what a “roost” was, or that Monarchs did this, until I recently saw it on your site. This was right before I noticed 2 or 3 of them in the arborvitae which is right near (it’s no more than 3 or 4 feet away from) the pollinator garden which has all the milkweed plants.

The sun was getting lower and by chance I happened to be standing there and it shone on the wings of a Monarch. The sun hitting its wings is the only reason I even noticed it. I froze, and just watched. I saw two adult Monarchs go “into” the arborvitae, and I also saw a white-ish/yellow-ish moth or small butterfly enter the back of that same arborvitae around the same time.

It was 4:30pm. 73 degrees, with 12-15mph north winds. Overnight temperature was roughly 55 degrees, with similar winds.

After I had taken a few photos, I approached the arborvitae and couldn’t see them in there, but I might have spooked them, or I might just not have seen them. Once their wings are “together,” behind their backs, they look like a twig, sort of.

The area of the arborvitae they went into is protected from the wind. And that row of arborvitae (3 of which have suddenly just died for some reason) are very close to the main pollinator garden with the milkweed and flowers. The thing that made me think I had happened upon a roost, and which led me to post it on your site, was the fact that we had been seeing Monarchs flitting around and feeding on that same pollinator/milkweed flower patch (I posted one of those sightings and photos on your site under “Adult Monarch"), and we have seen larvae too (I also posted that on your site, along with a photo), so it made sense that there would be a “roost,” of some kind.

In terms of the length of the observation, the sun on their wings caught my eye at around 4:15pm, and I watched the situation unfold for a total of about 45 minutes or so, in total.To be clear, I did not see them inside the arborvitae, together, just sitting there. I saw them go in, but couldn’t find them inside, but I didn’t want to scare them, so I tried to be as discreet as possible.

PS I have a LOT of hummingbirds each season. Oddly, this season, I have had an overwhelmingly outsized number of males. More than ever, and far outnumbering the females. It’s super odd.

Lexington, KY

Latitude: 38 Longitude: -84.5

Observed by: Schatzie
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