Every summer during 2012 to 2017, monarchs established a large breeding population at Lower Crab Creek near Vantage. In some years, literally hundreds occupied a small milkweed-rich area. We even had WBA tagging field trips on a couple of occasions to tag the monarchs we could find. One year we tagged almost 100 butterflies. Sadly, since 2017 monarchs have rarely been seen at Crab Creek, until this year!

For the first time in six summers, a small breeding population is currently present at Lower Crab Creek. Maybe numbering less than 50 at the moment, this population will likely grow by September when migrants will leave the site for California. So, provisionally David James will be leading a monarch-seeking WBA field at Lower Crab Creek on Saturday September 7. This will of course be subject to the monarch population doing well during August and the weather on September 7 being good for us and the monarchs. If it’s been a long time since you took a good photo of a fresh monarch, this could be the opportunity you have been waiting for! Contact David James.