Journey North: Monarch Butterfly Fall 2004

Jim Gilbert

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Monarch Butterfly

Fall 2004
Journey South News will be posted on Fridays:
Aug. 27, Sep. 3, 10, 17, 24, Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, Nov. 5. ...or until the monarchs arrive in Mexico!

Journey South News

	FINAL Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: November 5, 2004 Sanctuary trees are now filling with butterflies, as monarchs pour in from the north. Why do they migrate to this part of Mexico? What’s so special about it? Explore maps and photos to form your own theories. When Journey North begins again next February, we’ll take a close look at the monarch’s winter habitat and how the butterflies are adapted to survive there. To prepare, predict the weather and collect actual data from the region.
	Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: Oct. 29, 2004 Las primeras mariposas monarca han llegado! The first monarchs have arrived! The news we've been waiting for arrived this week from the monarch sanctuary region in Mexico. After crossing half a continent, the monarchs must strike a finish line only 73 miles wide. Like magic, they find an area that's 11,000 times smaller than the area they migrate across.
	Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: Oct. 22, 2004 A million monarchs filled the sky at “butterfly junction” in northern Mexico last weekend. “The densities were just stupendous; they were just absolutely astounding,” exclaimed biologist Bill Calvert. None has appeared at the overwintering sites yet. How much farther must these monarchs fly? (Photo: Jonathan Dueck)
	Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: Oct. 15, 2004 A spectacular event was witnessed in Texas on Sunday. For five hours, thousands of monarchs per hour were seen. “I wouldn't be surprised if there were 100,000 that passed.” Huge numbers also crossed into Mexico this week, “with no need of a passport” said a woman there. Through which Mexican states does the migration travel? When do you predict the FIRST monarch will reach the sanctuaries? And why do you suppose they go to such a cold place? A low of 39F is predicted for Sunday...
	Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: Oct. 8, 2004 The migration plowed across Oklahoma and into Texas during the last week, with several successive cold fronts. How high were the monarchs flying in downtown Chickasha, Oklahoma? Do monarchs fly as high as the clouds? Do they fly higher than the naked eye can see? The highest ever observed was seen by a glider pilot at 11,000 feet! Make a model to show how this compares to the height of the world's tallest mountains and buildings and other familiar things.
	Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: Oct. 1, 2004 The monarchs continued to push southward through the Midwest this week. In the East, it's the slowest migration in 14 years, says a NJ study. How do you picture the weather in the monarch’s winter home? Before reading today's report, describe the weather as you imagine it. How warm do you think it gets during the day? How cool do you think temperatures are at night? You might be surprised...
	Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: Sept. 24, 2004 At last! The season’s first big wave of migration. A sudden rash of reports arrived as large numbers of monarchs apparently moved through southern Iowa, and on into Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas. But not all monarchs go to Mexico. Which direction do the monarchs seen by students in Utah fly?
	Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: Sept. 17, 2004 We've tracked the fall migration to Mexico for 8 years. This is the first time we can't determine the migration's leading edge or any peak. LOW NUMBERS are being reported consistently. How do butterflies soar, glide and ride free to Mexico? A slow motion view of monarch flight shows why flapping flight is too energy-expensive. Monarchs are gone with the wind, when it blows toward the south. On sunny days, they are lifted aloft by "thermals."
	Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: Sept. 10, 2004 Another quiet week on the migration front. Is the cool Midwestern summer one reason? Monarchs follow a flower highway all the way to Mexico, filling up on nectar as they travel. Here's one refueling yesterday in Iowa. How many more miles must this monarch fly? How many monarchs were nectaring in this single 40-acre alfalfa field?
	Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: Sept. 3, 2004 A lackluster migration continues, with no reports of large numbers in flight or the large aggregations typical in early September. At night, migrating monarchs gather in overnight roosts. If Dr. Brower found one he'd, “pull up a chair, grab a pair of binoculars and just sit and watch!" Little is known about this aspect of monarch biology. Mr. Viger shows what a person who watches carefully can contribute.
	Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: August 27, 2004 The monarch migration to Mexico is underway! First reports of southbound monarchs are now coming in, and butterflies are beginning to gather at their overnight roosts. But a recent study indicates that monarch numbers are down. Scientists need to find accurate ways to measure the monarch population, to determine whether it is stable. What do recent data tell you?

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