Monarch Migration has started
Friends have noted that adult Monarch sightings have increased dramatically in Richmond and Chesterfield County within the last week. Saturday, August 20, 2022 Monarchs were observed in the front part of the front pasture when I entered the area about 2PM. They were flying around, not spending any time nectaring or laying eggs. It appeared that there were likely males hunting for females to mate with. One connected pair were observed heading to the trees on the east side of the field near the rabbitats to roost. After following single Monarchs around the pasture in an attempt to net one I decided to try a different approach.
I located myself near a large patch of blue mist near the milk weed patch Note I was wearing a solid color, light green shirt and an orange hat. As long as I stood still the Monarchs ignored my presence - perhaps I looked like a large Butterfly Weed bush. I noted that single Monarchs would approach a new Monarch as it approached the Blue Mist and the two would circle each other in a spiral and in some cases the vertical spiral would elongate horizontally as it headed toward the roosting trees and disappear into the trees. In one case one of the Monarchs broke off as they approached the trees and returned to the Blue Mist patch disappearing into the plants. I finally found a single, short Butterfly Weed that was in bloom with the Monarch in the process of nectaring on it. I netting it and tagged it - a female. I observed a second pair that followed the same sequence, netting the one that returned to the same Butterfly Weed bush among the Blue Mist. Again it was a female which I tagged. I brought both of the tagged females back to the area where they had been netted to release them. After tagging the two females between 3:30 PM and 4:00PM I returned to other activities.