Date: 10/24/2025

Number: 2

These are the last two of the roost of 35 that I first observed on 21 October. As reported in my 23 October roost report, when I left at noon, there were eight resting in the Mulberry trees on the east beach. The two I observed on the morning of the 25th, were in the exact spots I left them on the 24th. I arrived approximately 08:35 while the sun was still behind the clouds and the temperature reading in my car was 4°C. While scanning the east side of the tip from south to north, I saw no Monarch activity until the sun came out from behind the clouds and this one opened its wings. Within minutes of warming and with the north wind pushing it, it was gone, soaring high in the sky and letting the wind carry it south over the warm Lake Erie waters. Resuming my scan, heading north, I approached the tall Mulberry where the majority of the Monarchs have been roosting over the past number of days. The second one opened its wings and was also gone within minutes. I saw no others leave so the presumption is the other six left through the day on the 24th or were predated. Sidenote to predation — a whippoorwill was flushed from the leaf litter under the Mulberry trees that the Monarchs like to rest in.
A note on temperature; although I did not have a thermometer, I had to keep my gloves on due to the windchill. I do not think it was 10° when these Monarchs left. It was 10° when I eventually made my way back to my car a few hours later. . . Not sure what the coldest temperature is they can fly at. It was between 4°C and 10°C. The wind was off the land, however, the lake is apparently warmer than normal, according to the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research which is documenting temperatures between 5 and 10° C above normal.

Leamington, ON

Latitude: 41.9 Longitude: -82.5

Observed by: Laura
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