| Comments | Another great day for monarch watching. The highlight came in the afternoon--from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.--when 302 migrating monarchs were counted in the air during the single hour. The wind was blowing from the northeast, and the monarchs were essentially riding the wind--especially when they were flying or floating at 1,000 feet or above. The counting was done from a single spot near our butterfly garden in Altoona, Iowa. The garden is just a few blocks from the open prairie to the north, and the monarchs appeared as singles and in groups of two or three as they flew over at heights from 5 feet to more than 1,000 feet. Later, at least 30 monarchs were feeding at various places in our butterfly garden. Link to Prof. Woodward's Monarch Butterfly Migration Journal |
