Thank you Cheryl Allen, Wingaersheek Anonymous, Shaina, Pat, and Ellen for sharing your Monarch sightings. I am so appreciative of your time and comments.
Cheryl Allen writes: I am not sure you want this information because I live in Northern Virginia, but I am seeing at least a dozen if not more on my tropical milkweed plants this week – this is after the Monarch’s laying eggs back in July and those developed Monarch’s flying off. They are coming from the North I expect, but am gratified by seeing so many this year – more than I have ever seen in my garden over the last thirty years.
I want to thank you for alerting me to the Monarch crisis three years ago, I started planting Milkweed and spread the word to all my gardener friends, until I read your post regarding this crisis, I had no idea! I always enjoy your posts so much, I just missed seeing the baby Plovers by one week and was pretty crestfallen when I arrived a week after they were born, and no baby Plovers – Thanks for being such a friend to our wildlife and letting us know how we can help, it is much appreciated!
Thank you Cheryl for sharing your photos!
Shaina writes: So far we’ve only see two beautiful monarchs. One was over the wild flower field at Appleton farm in Hamilton this past weekend. The other was yesterday fluttering over the water at lighthouse beach in annisquam. Our 3 year old daughter is in awe of the Monarchs it is so exciting to watch her admire them. Will keep you posted on our monarch sightings!
Anonymous writes: I live at 8 Bungalow Road in Gloucester. It is at Wingaersheek Beach. My wife has a wonderful garden and I have seen three this year. I am not sure how many she has seen. My last sighting was about 2 weeks ago. None since.
Ellen writes: Hi Kim! Love the your beautiful photos. I spotted one lonely Monarch fluttering over the sand at Long Beach. In years past we used to watch a few of them on the beach, but this year only one so far.
Pat writes: Kim–I don’t know what happened to the comment I left earlier today reporting monarch sightings in the Binghamton NY area — a few–maybe once a day for the last week or 10 days. But I wondered how we know they aren’t the viceroy butterfly?
Good Morning Gloucester 
Kim–I don’t know what happened to the comment I left earlier today reporting monarch sightings in the Binghamton NY area — a few–maybe once a day for the last week or 10 days. But I wondered how we know they aren’t the viceroy butterfly?
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Hi Pat, I’ll look to see where your comment went. I added this comment about the Viceroys to the post.
I think the easiest way to tell the difference, unless you have a photo, is to look at the flight pattern. Monarchs have a very breezy, gliding and floating sort of flight habit. Viceroys look more skittish, are much faster, and somewhat erratic. Viceroys are a little bit smaller, but that is hard to tell unless side by side. Viceroys also have an additional thin black line circling the upper surface of their hindwings. Do you have a photo?
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Well done and Excellent! 🙂 Dave & Kim 🙂
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Saw several Monarchs during the summer here in the gardens. Saw 2 Thurs. while working outside. Both were on hot pink fall asters!
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