![]() ![]() One, they are seeking protection from the elements of wind and heat. I would hypothesize that they repeatedly congregate in the small 1/8th-acre area at the Arboretum amphitheater/pinetum for three reasons. She estimated that 95% of her tagging this year happened at the Arboretum, based on seeing the greatest number of butterflies here. Karen usually tags at three places in Hesston based on the ability to catch and tag the maximum number in one place, and Dyck Arboretum is where she does the majority of her work. With some repetition now in seeing these fallouts occur in the same place, I want to give some thought to why they congregate where they do at Dyck Arboretum. Monarchs on Seven Son Flower at Dyck Arboretum, – Photo by Gerry Epp Fallout Location ![]() Arboretum member, Gerry Epp, further documented this event by posting photos of the fallout on his Facebook page. Karen increased her number to 500 tags and was able to apply most of those when the fallout began Friday through Sunday. This year, Chip Taylor at Monarch Watch, knowing that migration numbers were higher this year, suggested that taggers order extra tags. Karen usually tags 300 annually during the fall migration. This year, however, she started seeing an uptick in numbers when a cold front and north wind jump-started the southerly monarch migration a bit earlier. She reports that the peak of migration through south central Kansas is usually between 9/22 and 9/27. Karen’s many years of efforts to tag monarchs in Hesston has her keenly in touch with monarch phenology and migration patterns. But after giving it more consideration and talking to a local monarch tagger, Karen Fulk, I wonder if that number was more accurately in the thousands. I estimated conservatively in a report to Journey North, there were at least 500 monarchs resting in the Arboretum that day. The monarch numbers I observed on Monday, seemed to me to be more stunning than I can ever remember. Monarchs in the Hedge Row at Dyck Arboretum, – Photo by Gerry Epp Big Numbers I would estimate that I’ve seen this phenomenon happen five times in the Arb since 2005 and this year’s was the most memorable for a few different reasons including big numbers, fallout location, and a predator story. Rather than waste energy fighting the headwind, monarchs find a place of refuge to rest and sip nectar. The convergence of the peak of the September monarch southerly migration over Southcentral Kansas was met by a strong south wind, causing a “fallout” of monarchs at the Dyck Arboretum. (Original publication date: October 7, 2020) Monarch Fallout As we anticipate an abrupt change in weather and the official arrival of fall with tomorrow’s autumnal equinox, I encourage everyone to keep an eye out for similar monarch migration events in your natural areas. Two years ago, I reported on an unusual convergence of migratory paths during the 2020 monarch fallout event here at the Arboretum. ![]()
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