On the cusp of spring migration, Estela Romero provides news from the El Rosario and Sierra Chincua Sanctuaries.
On the cusp of spring migration, Estela Romero provides news from the El Rosario and Sierra Chincua Sanctuaries.
Greetings,
For over a week now, the plummeting temperatures have relinquished their grip, and the monarchs stir from their hibernation amidst the chilly embrace of the Oyamel tree forests.
From a Peaceful Winter to Fierce Winds
It had been a relatively peaceful winter overwintering season on the California coast. Then suddenly monarchs were confronted by fierce winds and pummeling rain last week just as they began to leave the groves. Everyone is wondering how the monarchs fared. Stephanie Tucotte traces their movements at Pacific Grove before the storm hit and how the monarchs fared after the storm.
El Santuario: Asombro a la Vista
Desde la alta, tupida y accidentada área donde nuestras fantásticas Migrantes parecían esconderse y protegerse de las congelantes temperaturas que prevalecieron por semanas, el sol y días cálidos han, como en una explosión, mostrado una viva y energética cascada de mariposas Monarca 200 metros más abajo en la localidad de La Virgencita, la misma área donde han estado por semanas.
El Rosario Sanctuary
Amid the towering, dense forests and canopies, our enchanting migratory companions seemed to have found refuge from the freezing temperatures that gripped the region for weeks. However, the recent emergence of a breathtaking cascade of monarch butterflies, just about 200 meters downhill in the familiar La Virgencita spot, has transformed the landscape.
Un Informe Invernal
Los incesantes frentes fríos del fin de año, nos han recordado los fríos inviernos a los que hemos estado acostumbrados y que han prevalecido por décadas en nuestra región desde el pasado Noviembre e intensificándose durante todo Diciembre por debajo de los cero Centígrados predominando intensas heladas, pero no nevando hasta ahora, como creímos que sucedería.
A Wintery Report
The persistent cold fronts towards the end of the year serve as a stark reminder of the chilly winters that have been a norm in our region for decades. Since last November, these cold fronts have intensified in December, bringing temperatures below zero Celsius and intense frosts. Surprisingly, there has been no snowfall until now, contrary to our expectations.
Rendón-Salinas, E., Alonso, A., García-Serrano, E., Valera-Bermejo, A., and Quesada, M. ‘The monarch butterfly in Mexico: a conservation model’ Current Opinion in Insect Science, 2023, 60:101112.
www.sciencedirect.com
Dear Friends,
About a month ago, the Monarchs' arrival was heralded, bringing with it a significant drop in temperatures accompanied by occasional light rain. Currently, Mexico is experiencing the impact of several severe cold fronts, expected to persist for at least a couple of weeks.
Monarch overwintering sites are encountering temperatures reaching zero and below zero degrees Celsius, despite intermittent sunny spells during the day. The population status of the Monarchs in the sanctuaries remains uncertain.
Queridos amigos,
En cuanto se anunció la llegada de las Monarcas hace poco más de un mes, las temperaturas enfriaron considerablemente con ligera lluvia intermitente yendo y viniendo. Una serie de severos frentes fríos están afectando a México durante al menos un par de semanas al día de hoy.
Los sitios de hibernación de las Monarcas han estado cayendo a cero y bajo cero grados centígrados a pesar de los ratos de sol intermitentes durante el día.