LOTS of Monarchs roosting!

[watchdogps]

I have had a lot of monarchs roosting in my yard since Labor day! I am in Bucyrus Ohio. I was guessing a few hundred, but some experienced monarch watchers come out yesterday and estimated there to be well over a thousand!
Observers welcome

[Paul Cherubini]

Yes, lots of people have taken note of your large roost sighting and they are wondering why you have so many when there havn't been similar reports elsewhere in Ohio. Are there large fields of butterfly nectar plants like alfalfa, red clover, goldenrod, sunflowers or purple asters near or fairly near the roost trees?

[Mona Miller]

[quote="watchdogps"]I have had a lot of monarchs roosting in my yard since Labor day! I am in Bucyrus Ohio. I was guessing a few hundred, but some experienced monarch watchers come out yesterday and estimated there to be well over a thousand!
Observers welcome[/quote]

Did you report this to Journey North?
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/maps/Gallery.html

What is your area like? Farms, Fields, ?

[Paul Cherubini]

Bucyrus, Ohio is surrounded by GMO farmland:
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/gmobuc.jpg

[Mona Miller]

["Paul Cherubini"]Bucyrus, Ohio is surrounded by GMO farmland:
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/gmobuc.jpg]

Paul, I wondered why you didn't say that.

Watchdogps, Can you tell us what your area is like?

[ohiomonarchmama]

Yes, our friend in Bucyrus posted on Journey North and I emailed her through that. She invited me to visit...I had to work Thurs and called her yesterday (Fri) to see if they were still there and she said they were gone. I am trying to get video for a project...feel like a tornado chaser, but glad to be chasing monarchs, which is much safer! She sent a photo and they were in an apple tree, if that helps any. I still have lots of butterfly bush and was seeing 10 at a time earlier this week. Yesterday about 5 at a time nectaring. I did not see any directional migration, but a friend who lives at east end of Bay V on the lake reported seeing that Thurs eve. Does anybody know if they consistently stop at the Lake Erie Islands? (Pelee, Middle Bass, Put-In-Bay, Kelley's, Johnson's?). I would like to check that out today, but looking for "tips" on where to go.

[Mona Miller]

I emailed a friend who has visited Point Pelee during the migration. I asked her to send you a private message on the forum (I don't have and don't want you to post your email--this forum is picked up on the WWW (World Wide Web).

[Monarch MaMa]

I was forwarded a wonderful website that is a "twitter" line. Tey post the counts at Pt. Pelee and I've been scouting it for the last week trying to optimize a trip there with heavy population counts. A week ago the skies were clear and warm and the counts were 0.

As of Thur 9/15 there were 1500, and Fri 9/16/11 they counted 850. From my experience, when it is colder and dreary, they tend to settle and wait for better flight conditions. The upcoming cloudy & rainy days will force them to NOT leave Pt. Pelee so counts should be higher soon.

Here's the link
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/on/pelee/index.aspx

Debbie J
Davisburg, MI

[Mona Miller]

http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/on/pelee/ne/ne8.aspx
Daily Monarch Counts
Tuesday, September 6 at 7 pm, continuing until September 30.
Join an interpreter on a hike to the Tip and see how many you can spot. Hundreds? Thousands? If you can't make it to the park, follow the migration on Twitter.
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/on/pelee/ne/ne3/tweets.aspx
(Mona's note: You don't have to join Twitter, they are posting them on this website.)
We'll be "tweeting" daily Monarch numbers and other migration highlights throughout the fall.
Remember, Monarchs roosting at the Tip in the evening will still be at the park in the morning. Be sure to arrive early as they will take flight as soon as the sun warms their wings.

[ohiomonarchmama]

Thanks, Mona and MaMa! I did know about this Twitter site - someone posting from there last year gave it to me. If anyone has a way to find out info on any of the Lake Erie islands between Sandusky and Pt. Pelee, Canada, I am trying to find out daily status there. Also, if you see my other post, I need extra tags if you have any I could buy. Thanks! Monarch people are the best!

[Mona Miller]

Are you on the dplex Monarch Watch email list?

http://www.monarchwatch.org/dplex/index.htm

There are more people on there. You might want to join and post there.

[blazing star]

[quote="Paul Cherubini"]Bucyrus, Ohio is surrounded by GMO farmland:
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/gmobuc.jpg[/quote]

That's too bad. I found it disturbing when I read the article quoting Chip Taylor as to the decline in monarch populations that can be correlated to the onslaught of GMO crops. Hopefully, a return to locally grown, organic food will help bring back the monarch population.