Previous Sightings - 2004 to mid-2008

[dannus plex]

3300 Monarchs at tip of Point Pelee Provincial Park this morning.

[RozieMozie]

i had the joy of walking with a male butterfly yesterday aft ... it was a warm day and the lil guy was flying from garden to garden looking for food ... after about 3 or 4 mins he flew between some houses and i lost track of him ... the temps r going to be high for the next few days ... i sure hope he finds his way ok

[bjtriguy]

I have seen 3 Monarchs so far in Cambridge, On this year, and they have all been through my office window. The first 2 were the end of last week about 10 minutes apart. The third was yesterday and it was being chased/or followed by a Painted Lady. It is getting harder to get work done and watching out the window.

Brad

[John Beaulieu]

I am getting anxious to see one this year. There have been reports on the d-plex list of monarchs in Oshawa, Haliburton, Port Elgin, Toronto... all around us! In our yard we have already seen most of our other common butterflies, especially swallowtails at the lilacs right now.

We are heading up to Macgregor Prov. Park (Huron shore) this weekend with our bikes, perhaps we will get our first monarch fix there or while travelling through the countryside on the way.

The various milkweeds in our area are from 1 inch to 12 inches tall. In my own yard the swamp milkweeds are the tallest. This is the first year I have really paid attention to this, and I am surprised how slow the common milkweed is in getting started.

John

[John Beaulieu]

No sooner did I go back to the garden after sending that last post, and there was a rather dull looking monarch zipping through the yard. It must have been in search of food, and I don't have any good nectar plants blooming at this time.

Midhurst is just north of Barrie, which in turn is about 55 miles north of Toronto.

John

[John Beaulieu]

Because of potential thunder storms, we didn't go all the way to Lake Huron, but biked the Georgian Trail (rail trail) along Georgian Bay from Collingwood to Craiglieth. We saw no butterflies (monarchs) but there were good patches of common milkweed along the trail and we quickly found a dozen eggs, some newly hatched caterpillars and a few 2nd instars.

I also found a strange milkweed, at least I'm assuming it was a milkweed. It appeared to be intermediate between common milkweed and swamp milkweed... I know that is highly unlikely that they hybridized, but that is what the appearance was like. The leaves were much narrower than common MW but they were more rounded at the tips than those of swamp MW. The very smooth stem was a grey/green colour. The light green leaves had a reddish mid-vein. After checking photos of all the milkweed species, the only one that was close is A. sullavantii. In the photos the leaves were a tad wider, but perhaps this happens with maturity. My plants were only from 6 in. to 18 in. high. We had our camera, but had left the battery charging at home! We hope to get back next week for photos. The plants appeared to be spreading by underground rhizomes. Even the tiniest plants had very deep tap roots.

John

[Rene]

I wass told you might be interested in this.

In the 34 yrs I've lived up here I have never seen a Monarch Butterfly up here for obviouls reasons... however this spring in the last couple weeks I have had two different sightings... some distance apart.

The first one I saw has been flitting about my yard for a couple weeks now... I see it every few days. A beautiful speciman. Bright colours.

the other one I spotted as I was driving into town about 2 kilometers from our house.

We had a bit of a heavy South wind about two to three weeks ago so I am thinking thay were blown up here. We are located as the subject says in Kapuskasing. That is just north of the 49th parallel. there are no Milkweed up here, so I don't imagine anything will come of it.

Just thought you might be interested

[RozieMozie]

my daughter (4yrs) and i went for our first cat. hunt of the year lastnight ... we had 3 butterfly sightings one of wich was a pair mating, tht was a first for me! ... we found one 2nd instar lots of eaten MW and a bunch of eggs (but we only took 4) ... im all excited for this yr, and even my daughter has been asking to check out the MW!

[munch]

I live in Bala, which is in the Muskoka area. There are plenty of cats on the milkweeds up here. Some plants have multiple numbers of cats all at different instars.
I have observed these on the milkweeds at the side of the road.
My own little milkweed plant in my personal garden had two cats on it this morning.
This is my first summer really observing the monarchs so I don't know if this is usual for this time of the year.

[Debbie in Northwestern On]

Here in Northwestern Ontario, the Monarchs arrived early again. I saw the first one in my yard on May 23rd. They were not as plentiful as last spring but they were truly present. On May 23rd the milkweed shoots were only about an inch tall. We had a warm spring, it grew and the butterflies layed many eggs in no time. Last week I counted just less than 100 cats, at various stages. I had to bring about 30 small ones to the very well-established waystation 267 across town, as I was running out of milkweed. She had just received 100 cats from someone else the day before.

In my garden, there are 2 chrys and a number hanging in "J"'s. It went down to 7 celcius last night so maybe that is way two have been hanging for what seems too long. I noticed yesterday some small ones were missing and in speaking with waystation 267 today, learned that sparrows are eating them! They've eaten up almost all of the 130 she recently received. I am running out of milkweed for those left and waystation 267 is going to cover some of her many plants with a screen to receive the ones I have. There are also new eggs in my yard on bare stems. I hope the plants rejeuvenate quickly. I saw a couple of shield bugs in my garden already too. Is it common for sparrows to eat so many cats? What is going on?
Debbie in Northwestern Ontario
Waystation 444

[Spicypumpkin]

I’ve always been fascinated by Monarch butterflies, however in recent years I would be lucky to see one or two a season. To my surprise yesterday the small wooded area behind my house was full of Monarch butterflies!

Last evening as the sun was setting a collection of upwards of 100 butterflies came to rest in a tree outside our kitchen. We watched them for about an hour, settle into the tree for the night and much to my surprise they we still sleeping there in the morning. I took some pictures which I will try and figure out how to post.
Try this link http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1338/118 ... f6bb95.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spicypumpkin/

I imagine that they will remain for a few days and then continue their migration.

The sight of so many Monarchs in one places was in my opinion a once in a lifetime event.

I hope to learn more about their migration patterns and for next spring plant some Monarch friendly plants so that I can hope to see them again next year.

[John Beaulieu]

That is quite a cluster, Spicypumkin!

Here in Midhurst (just above Barrie) there are a couple monarchs flying SW through our yard each day. We have found no eggs on any of our garden milkweeds since returning home on the 24th, from Monarch workshops in NJ and VA.

Our wild milkweed patches have only old, tired plants, with no eggs there either. Tonight we found what might be the last caterpillar from our wild patch (by Willow Creek in Midhurst).

Today we drove to the Wildflower Farm on Hwy 12 between Orillia and Coldwater. Many of their garden patches had lots of flowering wildflowers. The Meadow Blazingstar was by far the most popular for the butterflies. There were hundreds of monarchs on these plants. Next in popularity were the Cupplants and the Joe-Pye Weeds. Even the many Coneflowers were ignored in favour of the Blazingstars (at least when we were there).

John

[dannus plex]

Hi all,
2000 Monarchs sighted at Point Pelee on Sept 13.

On Sept 12, I managed to tag 63 in one hour at Hawks Cliff near Port Stanley, Ontario. I have never seen so many in my favorite tagging Goldenrod field before.

I will be demonstrating tagging at Hawks Cliff on Sept 15,16 and on Sept 22, 23. Live hawks will be shown also. Hope those nearby can come.

Best wishes to all taggers.

[chanceychelsey]

Saw a Monarch crossing Highway 9 in Tottenham. A long way to go in a short time.

[John Beaulieu]

That reminds me of a line from the theme of the old movie 'Smokey and the Bandit'.... "a long way to go and a short time to get there". I'm picturing that monarch in a black trans-am, cowboy hat, with the 'hammer down', heading for the border!



I hope most people know of or remember that movie and can hear the tune!

John

[chanceychelsey]

Not exactly his mode of transportation, but I like the idea !
(and the photo)






Waystation 927
Tottenham, Ont

[chanceychelsey]

Saw my first Monarch flying over, heading north from the Don Valley Parkway and Stouffeville Sideroad this afternoon around 2pm. (North of Toronto)

No eggs on my milkweed in Tottenham yet.

#927

[John Beaulieu]

So, we could see a monarch anyday now in Midhurst. The first was May 30th last year. Most of the milkweed in our garden is up: Swamp is 4" to 12", Showy is 2" to 8", tuberosa is 1" to 2" and common is 1" to 6". Enough of the early perennials are flowering as nectar sources, the hummingbirds are enjoying them.

John

[chanceychelsey]

John

First for me last year was May 25th. So, anytime now.
My milkweed is a lot higher this year than when they arrived last year.

[chanceychelsey]

I just had a monarch fly through the yard. I saw another one two days ago about 5 minutes from home. I still have no eggs on my milkweed, which is looking great so far this year.
I'm in Tottenham, which is between Newmarket and Orangeville. (about an hour north/west of Toronto)

Waystation 927
Tottenham, Ontario

[John Beaulieu]

Brenda and I were up on the Bruce Peninsula on the weekend and saw several monarchs along the way. In several areas where we stopped, Shallow Lake, Red Bay and Stokes Bay, the common milkweed was up about a foot tall... very healthy from all the rain in the area, and eggs (monarch) were easy to find at all locations. Not much sign of swamp milkweed, only saw one plant up.

Our goal was actually to shoot Yellow Lady Slipper Orchids with our digital. We have a conventional slide show on our native orchids, but want to get some new digital shots for the future. They were the best I've seen in a long time, at their peak this weekend, growing like dandilions along many of the roads. Other plants of interest were the Indian Paint Brush, Blue-eyed Grass (an iris), Gay Wings and Pitcher Plants.

John

[chanceychelsey]

John,
Have you seen many lately? I have seen the odd one but not many. My milkweed is up 2-2 1/2 feet, with flower heads coming, and no eggs.
How are things your way?

Tottenham, Ont.
WayStation 927

[John Beaulieu]

We have had a couple monarchs in our garden (that we have seen - there may have been more). On Saturday we biked around Blueberry Plains trails in Wasaga Beach (to photograph pink lady slippers) and saw a couple monarchs. Today (Sunday) we biked the rail-trail from Hawkstone to Orillia and back, seeing only one monarch. The common milkweed was already flowering along the trail and the swamp milkweed in the wetlands was in bud. No eggs were found this weekend.

We did see a pair of wild turkeys with 2 young on the trail, as well as a Baltimore Oriole, Green-backed Heron, Yellow Warblers, Flickers and a couple huge garter snakes. There are lots of Swallowtail butterflies around. The milkweed is waiting... BRING ON THE MONARCHS!

Perhaps the cooler, cloudy weather is slowing their progress.

[chanceychelsey]

I just got a couple eggs off my milkweed this morning. I watched the female laying for a couple of minutes. I have nine inside now and two hatched earlier in the week. So finally, they are starting.

[Debbie in Northwestern On]

Here in Northwestern Ontario I have not seen even one Monarch. I have seen about 5 swallowtails. The first arrived during the last week of May last year. The milkweed is beautiful and starting to form flowers. Someone in the area said they saw one in the country. Last year there were so many. What is going on? Why are they so late this year? I wondered if the floods in the midwest of the U.S. had anything to do with it. Two friends with milkweed have not seen even one butterfly yet either.
Debbie in Northwestern Ontario
Waystation 444

[Mona Miller]

http://www.monarchwatch.org/forums/view ... ight=#7001
Cool Spring causes low butterfly numbers