Has anyone seen a Monarch around here?
Nope. Not me. But I have seen THOUSANDS of Monarchs. Monarchs, Monarchs, Monarchs!
Today was an epic day in the record books. Not only was today the best Monarch flight thus far this season, but it was also one of the very best Monarch flights ever, for this early in the season. It was absolutely stunning. Road census #1 at 9 am: 297 Monarchs; road census #2 at noon: 505 Monarchs; and road census #3 at 3 pm: 790 Monarchs!!! WOWSERS. That means that we had a rate of ~1600 Monarchs/hour! The Monarchs were seen flying all over Cape May Point, flying along the beach, over the dunes, and nectaring in the flowers.
It was a perfect day for Tagging Demos! With all these Monarchs flying about, it was hard to not notice and want to find out more. Tagging Demos will be every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2 pm in the state park. I had the opportunity to take a break between road counts, tagging demos, and tagging to sneak a peek at the end of Coral Ave in Cape May Point. And, oh my, that was a sight to behold. Monarchs flew anywhere and everywhere, heading out to the bay and then seeming to stop, realize they were over some water, and head back to the point to nectar and hang out a bit. The winds were not quite right for a flight across the bay, so the Monarchs are still hanging out around town. We were lucky enough to observe them in roosts tonight! Their little bodies clung like dried leaves to cedar trees, aspen trees, dead sticks, and even electrical wires. It was fun to see people walking, driving, and biking around town, with binoculars and cameras, to see the Monarchs in all their splendor.
If the winds switch tomorrow morning, we may have a mass exodus of Monarchs crossing the bay. Keep your eyes peeled for roosts early in the morning and watch for moving Monarchs!
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