Date: 10/11/2024

Number: 12

Arrived to the tip area of Point Pelee National Park around 18:20. Conditions on the Weather app on my phone at 18:17: hazy, temperature 21°C which is the high for the day, windchill 17°C, wind SW 228° at 25 km/h with gusts to 38 km/h, Humidity 60%, dewpoint 13°C, barometric pressure 102 kPa and falling.
Steady south west wind making conditions too windy on the west side and into the interior for any roosting activity. Checked a couple spots in the interior but they were empty. Headed to the east beach. Spotted the first one in a Mulberry. Then I disturbed a female while walking along the beach. She flew up and perched nearby in a Mulberry, not too far from a male already roosted there. The first seven were found in Mulberry trees. Most were just above my head height while standing on the beach. It should be noted that the beach sits about a metre below the landmass of the forest. In relative terms, most of these Monarchs would be below waste height for people standing in the forest. Many of the trees where the monarchs were spotted are on the verge of toppling into the lake due to erosion. The already toppled trees are what make this side of the tip so inaccessible. The three in the attached photo are in a Hackberry tree. One other Monarch was sighted in this tree. The last one was spotted in a separate Hackberry. I was able to determine the sex of 11 of the monarchs as they were so low down. Ten were males, one was a female and the last one I could not see because it was tucked between two leaves in a Hackberry.

Point Pelee National Park, ON

Latitude: 41.9 Longitude: -82.5

Observed by: Laura
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