How can you find a good place to see migrating butterflies

[Gwynne]

I know this is going to sound silly after I have been raising butterflies all summer but I have no idea where I can actually go to see the butterflies flying south. They do go in groups, correct? I may be going to Cape May, NJ in two weeks and they are known for having a lot of monarchs, but I am thinking I may be too late. I am 45 miles north west of Philly and would love to know how to follow the migration path.

[JBowers]

Hi Gwynne,
I have never seen a "flock" of migrating Monarchs. I watch wild areas that have LOTS of flowers (yellow sunflowers - the smaller ones) and observe MANY, MANY Monarchs floating from flower to flower.
Yesterday, it was a cool, dewy morning and I thought I would just try!
What I observed was about 30 Monarchs over this area (I think the sunflower is a "tall showy SF) I got my pants and shoes and sox SOAKED! BUT I did catch, tag and release only TWO of them. The area was too thick to try to walk into very far! Besides, the spiders yell at you! So I got out of there. Some of the Monarchs were very low at the edge of this area - probably because of the breeze.
I think NJ is about on the same lat as Ohio, so just keep trying.
Have fun.
Jill

[Gwynne]

Ah, I see. I am actually in PA. I did go to a nursery the other day and saw two monarchs feeding on the butterfly bush. I checked but they werent tagged. The only other ones I have seen are my own.

[Mona Miller]

http://www.fs.fed.us/monarchbutterfly/m ... ndex.shtml
Scroll down and look at the section on traveling South.

Another good way to see loads of butterflies is to go to a nursery which has outdoor plants. They will be there if the plants have good nectar. That is also a good way to pick good nectar sources for your garden.

And, if you can plant a Monarch Waystation eventually they will find you and make your Waystation garden a place they stop every year.
http://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/

You can buy seeds at:
http://shop.monarchwatch.org/product.aspx?p=125522
These will be available soon.