Washington, DC, area, Sep. 20

[Rob (Robert) Hilton]

Hi, 

I just signed up again, for the rest of the fall migration maybe.  

Here in downtown Bethesda, Md., a surburb just north of Washington, DC,
USA, I have been seeing butterfly migration.  

Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) are parading past my 6th story
office window at the rate of 1/minute or so.  They gain altitude as they
approach the building, so they are not recycling back.  Just moments ago I
saw three at once (a kettle?), with another one behind them.  And I am only
glancing out the window occasionally.  I don't think I have seen such a
consistent rate of passage out this window during the seven previous years
I have sat in this cubicle.  Also some sort of Odonata is going by
too...I've seen four recently (two close ones appeared to be Black Saddlebags)

This past Saturday I saw my first local Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)
of the season.  Last year by the 20th I had seen 25+ in the DC area,
beginning as early as late July.  

Sunday at Snicker's Gap hawk watch, where Va. Rt. 7 crosses the Blue Ridge
west of DC, there were a lot of Monarchs migrating in a (south-)westerly
direction.  My attention was focused on the migration of Broad-winged Hawks
(Buteo playpterus), which are heading for southern South America.  

Back to work, 

Rob Hilton

Rob (Robert) Hilton--*robert at csa.com*--Bethesda, Md. (very close to
Washington, DC)