Local residents enthralled by monarch butterflies at Point Pelee
Thousands of monarch butterflies have been resting briefly in Point Pelee National Park as the annual fall migration makes its way to Mexico.
Visitors to the park can see several hundred to several thousand butterflies on any given day between late August and mid-October.
“It’s an exciting time of the year,” exclaimed Leamington, Ont. resident Paul Barkovsky. “It's just amazing. Just something you've never seen before. It's the amount of butterflies that are in the trees. It's just thick and all you can see is butterflies.”
Barkovsky and others suggest mornings are the best time of day to try and observe the insects, noting the tip is the best location.
“It’s hit and miss it really is. Like this time of the year, we’re right heavy into it right now,” he says.
Point Pelee National Park, as seen on Sept. 29, 2022. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)
According to the park’s Twitter page, 5,600 monarchs were observed at the tip Tuesday evening, only for there to be 150 spotted the following evening.
“We had hoped to see them, I understand yesterday there was quite a few and then the wind was heading south so a lot of them migrated over night,” says Ed Novak who travelled from Waterloo with his wife to catch a glimpse.
“We’ve seen a few in the trees and flying around,” Karen Novak explains, “so I don't think they're all gone yet.”
According to Parks Canada, monarch butterflies are one of the most recognizable species in Canada. Officials say as soon as favourable conditions occur, the butterflies begin one of nature’s greatest journeys by crossing Lake Erie.
Earlier this year, the migrating monarch butterfly was added to the "red list" of threatened species and categorized as "endangered" for the first time by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature — two steps from being extinct in the wild.
Parks Canada suggests planting native species that flower into the fall to provide nectar for migrating butterflies and milkweed for monarch caterpillars.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.