Date: 03/10/2024

Number: 5

This was the first day that I saw monarchs egg-laying and found eggs on the milkweed. I had seen a couple of monarchs each day since March 6th, but had found no eggs. Really wonderful to see the activity today! It was a cool, sunny day in the low 60's with light breezes from the north.

In the late morning I saw two monarchs (1 male, 1 female) nectaring on yellow thistles and Texas dandelions. They also spent time sunning. At around 12:30pm I went walking around, immediately seeing two monarchs flying in the yard and upper meadow. Then I went down to the middle pastures and observed two female monarchs checking milkweed & egg-laying. They were often near to each other (seeming to like the company). But every now and then they were a bit too close. Then, they would perform a gentle, low aerial tussle and send each other in different directions for awhile. They didn't seem to mind me and often fluttered right past or around me with whispery wings. I spent time following them about. In another section of the middle pasture I saw a male monarch nectaring from Texas dandelions and sun-bathing. It was all very peaceful.

There is abundant fresh milkweed and more coming up each day, so they had good options of plants to choose to lay eggs on. There are also good nectar sources with plenty of wildflowers: yellow thistles, false garlic flowers, Texas dandelions, wild blackberry blossoms, and lyre-leaf sage just emerging.

In the late afternoon, as I was checking on the milkweed and newly-laid eggs, I saw a female monarch nectaring from a yellow thistle (honeybees right next to her) ~ I think one of the monarchs I had followed earlier in the day. I saw at least five individual monarchs today but had quite a few more encounters than that.

This photo shows one of the female monarchs as she lays an egg in the bud crown of an emerging milkweed (Asclepias viridis). She has some tattering to her wings, but was strong and active ~ beautiful in the bright sunlight.

Montgomery, TX

Latitude: 30.4 Longitude: -95.8

Observed by: Kathy
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