A cloud of monarchs

Monarch nectaring on aromatic aster a couple of years ago

I wish I'd seen them in the pocket meadow up front, but they were nectaring in a neighbor's garden.  She has multiple butterfly bushes as well as lots of tall Zinnias in full flower.

There were multiple monarchs visiting her Buddleia yesterday and the day before.

I was going to report my sightings on Journey North and realized my registration still has me in Clemson, SC, so I didn't.  Perhaps they were roosting here overnight, then nectaring for a while, before heading south.

Interestingly, perhaps the wave of migrating monarchs is passing through more of the mountains this year.

In any case, here was the current Journey North map:  click to connect to their website.

They're a wonderful organization promoting real-time observations from folks of all ages, from schoolchildren to citizen scientists.

Sightings of individual monarchs through Oct. 3

It looks like they're all gone from the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec, where we spent June and July.  That's about as far north as they get.