Monarch Butterflies Journey South News: Fall 2007 Posted Fridays: Aug. 31, Sep. 7, 14, 21, 28, Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26, Nov. 2....or when the monarchs arrive in Mexico!   FINAL Fall Migration Update: November 9, 2007 As we end our fall migration season, monarchs are still traveling to Mexico. Many millions will survive the trip as wind, weather and good luck allow. How will this year's population compare to those in past years? Scientists will estimate its size in mid-winter. What's so special about this place in Mexico? Explore maps and read a story about the discovery of the monarch's winter home. November 2, 2007 After crossing half a continent, the monarchs must strike a finish line about 70 miles wide. Within the overwintering region, only 12 places have the habitat the butterflies need to survive. What's so special about this place? Also, Estela Romero tells us about Dia de los Muertos, and the traditional belief that monarchs are the returning souls of ancestors. News Flash: First Monarchs Have Reached the Finish Line! October 31, 2007: We just received word that the first monarch butterflies have completed their long migration! Here's the news from Estela Romero, who is writing from Angangueo, Michoacan, Mexico. Angangueo is a small mountain town that's located in the heart of the monarch overwintering region. October 26, 2007 What a week! Monarchs are crossing the skies of northern Mexico and a cloud of monarchs is moving down the Texas Gulf Coast. Monarchs were even spotted over the Gulf of Mexico as they flew over an offshore oil platform. The first butterflies are expected to arrive at the overwintering sites any minute, according to our observers there. Will they arrive by their traditional Nov. 1st date in time for the Day of the Dead? October 19, 2007 The migration's leading edge is approaching the U.S.-Mexican border at the week's end. Por fin! (At last!) The butterflies are at least a week late this year in northern Mexico, says Rocio Trevino. A Texas man made an exciting discovery...a monarch wearing a tag! Exactly where--and when-- do you think the butterfly was tagged? Send us your guess! October 12, 2007 Texas is the only state all monarchs must cross, and the first big masses of Mexico-bound monarchs have now arrived. There are two traditional migration flyways across Texas. Are this year's monarchs going the right way? October 5, 2007 A massive migration across Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kansas this week resulted in the most spectacular sightings of the season. Most miraculous was the mile of clustering monarchs discovered on Sunday in a sunflower field in Kansas. Just think...It's the first week of October and migrating monarchs are still being spotted across the north. Warm weather dominated much of September, and only scattered frost has occurred. What might this mean for monarchs? September 28 , 2007 Monarchs cruised into Oklahoma and the Texas "panhandle" on the very same day this week. It was a long wait. South winds blew for almost 10 days in Texas, Oklahoma and much of the surrounding region where the continent's monarchs are headed, and progress into the region seemed stalled. This week: How high do monarchs fly? See what scientists know and don't know about the height of monarch flight. September 21 , 2007 The Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains are striking geographic features in the East, and the monarchs encountered them in full force this week: "People were just standing and staring," wrote a woman who saw thousands of monarchs migrating along a NY beach. Also this week, explore an unusual observation. Why were the monarchs standing in the road? September 14 , 2007 Monarchs soared into Nebraska over the weekend. They landed the very same night in the first roosts reported for the state. This week, take a close look at monarchs who have stopped in a garden to eat. Where do they find the food they need, and why must they hurry? Explore the challenges monarchs face when fall is coming and the flowers are fading. September 7 , 2007 The north wind blows after a cold front passes, and the strong August 29th system set monarchs sailing in the Great Lakes region. Did they fly across open water? Also this week: Why do monarchs form roosts during fall migration? They migrate alone so why come together at night and how do they find one another? August 31 , 2007 The migration to Mexico is underway! It seemed early when the first reports appeared on the map, but the telltale signs of migration were clear. Monarchs were forming huge clusters across the north, and flying southward in "directional flight" an obvious change from the flitting flight of summer. Find out how, when, and where to watch fall migration--and please tell us what you see! Welcome and Orientation Beginning September 1st, weekly FALL MIGRATION UPDATES will be posted here every Friday, from September to November. (See schedule above.) Get ready to track the migration to Mexico. Find out how to report your sightings and track the migration on real-time migration maps. >> Facebook Pinterest Twitter © 1997 – 2019 Journey North. All rights reserved.