October 2017 Sightings

Saw a migrating Monarch at around 5:30 p.m.

Several checks, 10 am - 3 pm. Temp: high 50s to low 70s. Sunny sky, little wind.

Sunny, 72 degrees. Easterly winds. Lots of nectar as they grow Zinnias here. Organically. Plus I was walking around the area and surveying the garden back at the store area.

Day of "twos." Mid-to high 70 degrees and sunny. Marguerite daisies attracting bees and a few butterflies. Was excited to see 2 Monarchs and then noticed my neighbor's butterfly bush across the street which had 6.

Another wonderful day here 70's, winds 5-7 MPH. Counted 67 Monarch's in the AM with more arriving. 2PM another Monarch count, stopped at 87 and there were many more. I have great video of between 3-4 dozen Monarch's nectaring on Tropical Milkweed. Roosts in the evening on most of the Red Canna blossoms in the front side yard and some in the back yard Cherry tree. I did teaching throughout the afternoon when groups of people stopped by and asked about the butterflies. Some of them here for 2 hrs. Did not see the Long-tailed Skipper but not really able to look well though he had been out and seen easily 10/20.

Saw these nectaring on a Marigold planted in front of the building when dropping off letters at 12:05.

Observations made between 2 & 3:15 p.m. Monarchs were all moving North to South.

7:30 to 11:30. Fiery Skipper same individual as yesterday. Red-banded Hairstreak on Montauk Daisy.

Variegated Fritillary was nectaring on Camphor-weed. Mint fresh Clouded Sulphur crossed my path here.

Monarchs spent the day in the garden.

Three Monarchs together on Zinnias and the other two flying some distance away. All hung around between 11am - 2:30pm. I watch from my porch. Sulphur showed up around 2 pm.

Fruit dish of gooey bananas topping sliced watermelon bumped up our diversity. Mexican Sunflowers, Zinnias, and salvias are only nectar left to pull in butterflies.

This field, in past years unmown and waist-high in Frost asters, has scattered surviving ground level bloom. Various clovers are now dominant.

Warm mid 70's winds 7 MPH. First Monarch count >150 and they continued coming all day. There were Monarchs or Ladies nectaring on just about every plant in the gardens. Pictured small roost in the AM with the dew on the Monarchs. Next picture is part of a Roost that had about 35 Monarchs but off to the side was another 25 Monarchs on the same plant. Plus every Canna blossom had between 8-12 Monarchs on them @ 6PM. I feel very blessed to have so many butterflies and lots of nectar plants left. Many, many visitors to the gardens today with lots of education done.

10:30 am with dense fog. Visiting lighthouses as part of the "Lighthouse Challenge" and witnessed migrating Monarchs.

on a large butterfly bush

Just around the lighthouse and parking area.

Sunny and mid-70 degrees. Lantana, pentas, mexican heather, and zinnias from the garden attracting butterflies.

At a WaWa stop, I saw another Cloudless Sulphur for the day.

The butterflies started to move near 9:30 am. One of the two Monarchs was moving northward.

At the stop to cross the Delaware River, a Monarch flew by toward the SW.

At a rest stop, I saw Monarchs and Cloudless Sulphurs.

It was great to see a bounding Cloudless Sulphur.

75 degrees, but cloud cover 4:45 pm