Very Encouraged by Abundance of Monarch Sightings
Submitted by John Dickson
The following is an excerpt from the Owen Sound Field Naturalists (OSFN)September 2026 column. To learn more about OSFN please visit www.osfn.ca
OSFN’s Audrey Armstrong and Patti Byers were on hand for the Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy’s (EBC) Monarch Festival at Tobermory on August 29, teaching about the Monarch butterflies’ life cycles and food requirements, and also tagging some of these long distance flyers who will be embarking on the longest journey of their lives, to their winter home in Mexico. Audrey told me she is very encouraged by the abundance of Monarch sightings these days and noted that the increasingly widespread swamp milkweed and common milkweed plants have provided a strong foundation for a healthy start in the butterflies’ early stages.
The Young Naturalists Club is getting ready for another year! The Club is primarily for children aged 7 to 12 years old. They typically meet on the last Sunday of the month from 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm, but for some events the times may vary. The program operates from September to June but with no meeting in December. Parents and guardians are required to stay and participate. The Club Coordinator is Amanda Eriksen. If you have any questions, or to confirm the schedule, email youngnaturalistsos@gmail.com
The Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory’s Station Scientist Stéphane Menu, has recently begun monitoring the southbound migration of birds at Cabot Head. Some of the many warblers seen there may have been resident there this past summer, and others may be arriving from further north, on their way to their winter destinations. In addition, shore birds and raptors have been observed working their way southward too. Here is an excerpt from his recent blog:
“Diversity of warblers was relatively good during this time, notably on August 28th. That day also marked a high point in banding with 47 birds of 19 species, following 44 birds of 13 species on the 27th. Nashville and Bay-breasted Warblers were among the most abundant birds captured, but Red-eyed Vireos were also banded in significant numbers: 15 birds during these two days and a total of 44 Red-eyed Vireos banded in these first two weeks.”
OSFN will also be offering September field trips, first to club members, with chances to look downwards – one with a focus on mushroom/fungi identification, and another will highlight the diversity of ferns in this area, along with some of their history too.
