Date: 09/20/2024

Number: 1

Around 10:30 AM, I walked to the field across my rural road, hoping to see at least one monarch. It was calm, sunny and 66 degrees F. I carried my net, hoping to catch a monarch and use my one tag, left over from last year's tagging season for Monarch Watch.

So far this September, I had not been lucky in my net and tag adventures. The monarchs I did see were far and few between and impossible to catch because they were either too distant or just too quick for my reflexes.

But this morning was the charm. I saw a male monarch fueling up on goldenrod, growing next to the trail. I held my breath, as I readied my net just under his body. Swooping upward, he was quickly captured. I carefully reached inside and gently but firmly pinched his wings together and brought him out. After I applied the tag, he wasted no time and quickly resumed his mission, to fatten up on the sweet rich nectar of goldenrod. Awaiting him, a field full of nectar-rich flowers in peak bloom, goldenrods, and three species of asters.

Arcade, NY

Latitude: 42.6 Longitude: -78.4

Observed by: Donna
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