Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: October 15, 2004
Highlights From the Migration Trail Some spectacular migration events took place in Texas during the past week. What luck for those who witnessed them!
Sightings of hundreds of monarchs per hour were suddenly seen in several
places. Nearly all of these "triple digit" observations originate
in the heart of the flyway, notes Mike Quinn of Texas Parks & Wildlife
and Texas Monarch Watch. (See map of fall flyways through
Texas below.)
Mexico
Bound? All Flights Cross Through Texas
"At the latitude of the southern tip of Texas, the monarchs' flight path is only about 8% as wide as it was when they started from their breeding grounds in the north," Dr. Calvert added. In other words, the monarchs are 12 times more concentrated as they move through Texas. The state is like a funnel through which the monarchs pour. No wonder the migration can be so spectacular there! Noticias del avance de la migración en México
Special thanks to Rocío Treviño for forwarding this exciting news! Her education program, "Correo Real," tracks the migration in Mexico. Here are more reports from her observers in northern Mexico--and a chance for you to use your Spanish:
The United States of Mexico: Challenge Question #10 Pull out your atlas and find the Estados Unidos Mexicanos. Did you know that Mexico is divided into states? How many can you name?
Watching and Waiting at the Over-wintering Sanctuaries When do you predict the FIRST monarch will arrive at the overwintering sites in Mexico? Estela Romero has everybody watching. She promises to report the news. Meanwhile, the weather continues to be very cloudy, rainy and cold. In fact, this weekend’s forecast shows temperatures dropping to 39 degrees F! Now, why
do you suppose the monarchs are going to such a cold place? (We’ll
have more about this when we explore the monarch’s winter habitat
when Journey North begins next February!) New Jersey Students Observe Migration for One Full Month Penn Beach Elementary students are learning that kids can collect important information about monarch migration by watching closely. Their school butterfly garden has become an observation post. By conducting regular, ten-minute observation periods, they can describe what monarch migration looks like as it moves through one particular area.
Teacher Julia Walds describes their procedures. "We are a class of 20 fifth grade students in Pennsville, New Jersey. Weather permitting, we make our ten-minute observations at least three times a week. Our students are divided into groups; butterfly observers, plant maintenance, and scientific illustrators. We rotate on a daily basis. Our observations are taken from our school garden which is an absolutely beautiful garden created with plants that attract wildlife." According to the data collected by the students:
The students have not seen ANY monarchs this week. "Sadly, no monarchs were sighted," they say. "We hope they are safely on their way to Mexico!!"
How High in Chickasha, OK? Discussion of Challenge Question #9 Last week, a woman saw monarchs when she looked out of the window of the fifth floor of a building in downtown Chickasha, Oklahoma. How high were they flying, we asked. "I think the butterflies were flying about 55 feet off the ground," said Isabella. She assumed each floor was 11 feet high and multiplied by 5 floors. Nice work! How
to Respond to Today's Challenge Question
1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge-monarch@learner.org 2. In the Subject Line of the message write: Challenge Question #10 3. In the body of the message, answer the question above. The Next Monarch Migration Update Will Be Posted on October 22, 2004. Copyright
2004 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments,
and suggestions to jn-help@learner.org
|