Monarch numbers/Monarch watch

[bcurry at worldchat.com]

At 02:54 PM 9/6/97 -0500, you wrote:
>
>Concerning the three recent reports of increased monarch numbers by list
>members: Here is my assessment of the current situation based on reports
>received from Monarch Watchers from areas east of the Rockies.
>
> Largest Monarch migration in 20 years expected.
>
>
>  Lawrence, Kan. (AP ..30 Aug 1997)---- A University of Kansas researcher
>is predicting
>the largest migration of Monarch butterflies in 20 years to pass through the
>Midwest this fall.

On 28 August I witnessed perhaps the largest flight of Monarchs I've ever
seen. This was south across the extrem western end of Lake Ontario in
southern Ontario at Hamilton.  A cold front had passed through overnight and
the wind was fairly brisk from the NNW.  By working along the south shore of
the lake here I estimated that approximately 1000/minute was coming ashore
along a stretch of about 5 Kilometres (and they could have been flying
further east where I didn't check).  In the two hours 1500 - 1700 that I
observed before the flight stopped  I estimated that about 120 000 passed.
It's quite possible that they started at 1000hr as conditions were good
throughout.  If so, more than .5 million passed on this single day!

Bob Curry
Ancaster, ON
bcurry at worldchat.com
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