News This Season's Projects Report Your Sightings! Orientation to Journey North Maps Journey North Home Journey North Home

EventMonarch PEAK Migration
Date of Sighting09/20/01
Comments Today, September 20, while I was conducting my field research project at Lodge Glade in Ha Ha Tonka State Park near Camdenton, Missouri (Camden County) I saw literally hundreds (if not thousands) of Monarchs nectaring on Liatris aspera (Rough Blazing Star).
The season has been quite a good one there for both the blazing star and the monarch. There were many hundreds of plants of the Rough Blazing Star in full flower and the Monarchs were making good use of them. There was good evidence that the Monarchs were roosting in the trees surrounding the glade and were coming from these roosts directly onto the glade to nectar on these plants.
I had seen a number of mating Monarchs at this glade earlier in the season and the glade also supports a number of species of native milkweeds which are utilized by the Monarchs. The temperatures today reached around 80 degrees or so and it was a bright sunny day with a light to moderate breeze for most of the day. Coincidentally there were many other species of butterflies present in large numbers also. The Monarchs were also using several other species as nectar sources, including wild oregano (Cunila origanoides) and several species of goldenrod (Solidago species).
This was probably one of the best days for Monarchs that I have ever seen, given the numbers and the fact that many of them were also fresh and very brightly colored.
LocationCamdenton
State/ProvinceMO
Latitude37.99
Longitude-92.77
E-mailemail this observer (----@aol.com)
Observer's First NameDouglas
Observer's Last NameLeDoux
Teacher's First Name
Teacher's Last Name
Grade
School
CityCamdenton
State/ProvinceMO
Country

Annenberg Media Home Page
Copyright 1997-2008 Journey North. All Rights Reserved.
Questions or comments? Contact us.
.
Journey North Home Page