Monarchs Depart In Colossal Numbers

Tuesday, September 11, 2018, was a day I circled on my calendar. Not for the obvious reason this date signifies, but because after several days of rain, cool temperatures, and strong east winds this was the day the sky was predicted to clear and winds were to be lighter out of the northwest. What did this mean and why did I care? Well, if the weather held true the nearly 8,000 Monarch Butterflies mentioned in my last post Thousands Of Monarchs Roosting At The Tip Of Point Pelee were destined to depart Point Pelee National Park and continue their journey south under these ideal migrating conditions. 

The inclement weather brought in by the remnants of hurricane Gordon stalled this huge group of migrating Monarchs for three days, and I knew when the weather finally broke these butterflies were going in exit in epic proportions. Taking my chances on the weather forecast I left London shortly after 4 a.m. so I would be at Point Pelee National Park when it opened at 7 a.m.

Arriving early, I was the first car at the gate. I exited my vehicle and did some stretching while I waited for park staff to arrive and unlock the gate. I was meeting my friend Darlene, the park’s official Monarch counter, at the gate and after gaining access to the park our plan was to walk from the visitor centre to the tip where the large roosts had gathered. Why walk? Because the first shuttle to the tip isn’t until 8 a.m. and we knew these Monarchs would not wait long once the sun got higher in the sky and the temperature rose. Looking up into the treetops as we made our way to the tip we could see several large roosts of Monarch Butterflies.   

By 7:30 a.m. we were on the tip ready and waiting for the Monarchs to become active. Unfortunately, there was still a significant amount of cloud cover and it was a bit cool. Looking at the sky there was one small hole in the clouds that could potentially present a window for the butterflies to leave but it was a narrow one. Clear skies could be seen to the west, but with the clouds moving slow, it looked like it would be several hours before the skies cleared completely. 

With the sun slowly emerging Monarchs became active fluttering high in the treetops. One by one a few Monarchs left the tip riding the wind to where the sand and water meet. With conditions still not perfect, many of the butterflies flew back to the trees. What was amazing to see was the Monarchs formerly roosting on the west side of the tip to avoid the strong winds from the previous day were now relocating to the east side to take advantage of the warm morning sun. As the sky cleared, the patient Monarchs soaked up the sun with outstretched wings. 

With the sky now totally clear and a northwest wind, Monarchs began leaving the tip 5 and 6 at a time.  Standing in the sand I watched as a constant wave of butterflies passed by overhead and at eye level. It did not take long for the mass exodus to happen and those arriving at the park late missed the entire spectacle. By mid-morning, almost all of the Monarchs were gone. In fact, I overheard many park visitors remark “where are all the Monarchs”?

As the day progressed, more Monarchs made their way through the park taking advantage of the northwest wind. Most were observed high overhead clearly migrating. By mid-afternoon, a few Monarchs were observed down low nectaring on both goldenrod and woodland sunflowers but it was evident most had left the park. 

Since September 11, evening roosts of Monarch Butterflies at Point Pelee National Park have been substantially smaller. Will we see more large roosts of Monarch Butterflies filling the trees at Point Pelee National Park again this year? Only time will tell. It is not uncommon to see Monarch caterpillars on Milkweed plants in mid-September in Southwestern Ontario. Once these large caterpillars form a chrysalis it takes two weeks for them to emerge as butterflies so another large wave of Monarchs could happen. In fact, the largest roost of Monarchs reported from Point Pelee last year wasn’t until October 14. 

If you missed out on these large roosts and are hoping for another wave of Monarchs to gather within the park, follow Pelee Paradise Sanctuary Monarch Waystation 10275 on Facebook for daily counts.  

Witnessing this incredible migration of the Monarch Butterfly was one of the greatest things I have observed in nature. If you have never experienced this yourself, I highly recommend following the daily reports closely and plan your visit to Point Pelee National Park accordingly.

Good birding,
Paul

*My 2019 calendars have arrived and are now available for purchase. For more information including the images featured and how to purchase, please follow the link provided.*