Date: 04/30/2023

Number: 6

At 12 noon today it was 76 degrees F, sunny, with 39% humidity, and light breezes from the SW. I saw a faded-winged monarch flying in the back yard, so decided to follow. I lost him, but then saw a bright-winged fellow nectaring on the tiny golden flowers of prairie plantains (Arnoglossum plantagineum) in an upper pasture. He flew from one tall plant to another ~ filling up with nourishing nectar on this sunny day. (This is his photo).

I then went to the lower fields, and found a bright-winged female fluttering around checking milkweed. She zoomed off to the upper pasture, so I headed back up. In the upper field and in our front yard I saw three more faded monarchs flying around patrolling milkweed and having brief air skirmishes.

I continued to see multiple faded-winged monarchs throughout the rest of the day. All seemed to be males patrolling, covering large areas, and dipping down by milkweed & nectar plants looking for females.

In checking some of the milkweed, I had found a few monarch eggs and some monarch caterpillars, including one 5th instar.

Montgomery, TX

Latitude: 30.4 Longitude: -95.8

Observed by: Kathy
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