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This Week's News:
- The Migration: Maps and Questions
- The Migration: Latest News:
- News from the Finish Line in Mexico: Spanish & English
- Photo of the Week: What holiday are Mexicans preparing to celebrate?
- Slideshow: The Day of the Dead at our School in Angangueo
- Links: Monarch Resources to Explore
 Photo: Estela Romero |
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A Week to Remember in Northern Mexico
Rocio
Treviño
reports from Saltillo, Coahulia:
All week the monarchs have astonished us during their passage over Saltillo,
Coahuila. People say they have not seen the monarchs so numerous
in years. The monarchs have formed clusters throughout the city of Saltillo.
By about 9:00 every morning, as soon as the sun warms the air to 15°-17°
C (59° -62° F), the monarchs begin to fly from the trees in parks,
near houses, schools, and streams across the city. Hundreds and hundreds
of monarch butterflies, spiraling upward in thermals, sometimes so numerous
they are difficult to count. (Try
counting!) I am sending the photos that my 10 year-old granddaughter
took in a park to the north of town. Today I continued to see dozens of
butterflies rising in the thermals.
The butterflies must already be in the state of San Luis Potosí in great numbers, but I have still not received reports. And where is the migration near the coast to the east? My son, Rogelio, was near Victoria, Tamaulipas on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and told me he did not see any butterflies...
Try This! Explore the Migration Pathway in Mexico
Which Mexican states do the monarchs cross as they travel to their winter home? Why don't the monarchs travel straight south? The direction the monarchs travel is "delightfully confusing!" says Dr. Calvert. Read Dr. Calvert's article article to explore possible migration pathways in Mexico. Plot the migration pathway on this week's map handout.
Migration Continues from Canada and the U.S.
It's almost November but monarchs are still migrating out of the United States and even Canada. Here are some of this week's highlights:
- Along the the Texas coastal flyway, where the Aschens are watching daily, the migration is picking up but they still haven't seen a roost there yet: "There just aren't enough yet to make for real clusters" but they watched a few monarchs attempting to roost in ones and twos on Tuesday.
- Along the northern edge of the Gulf of Mexico in Florida, peak migration occurred last week and continued to be strong this week. This is the time of year when we sometimes receive monarch sightings from islands out in the Carribean Sea. Let's see if that happens this fall!
- Stragglers still coming down from the north: Scattered sightings of single monarchs are still being reported from as far north as Ontario and New York. Those butterflies better get moving. It's almost Halloween!
- Northern habitat is changing! An observer watched a fresh female monarch flying south on Sunday in Illinois and noted: "There is not much for her to eat. Most flowers are gone due to a hard frost. However a few dandelions and other roadway flowers are available," reported Carol from Rock Island Elementary.
 Photo: Rocio Trevino, age 10 |
How
many monarchs can you count in the Coahuila sky? |
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| Explore the migration pathway in Mexico |
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Dear
friends from Journey North:
Just like you, we are "standing on one foot and alternating with
the other" (as we say in Spanish), waiting to see a Monarch here,
but nothing yet. I went this morning to El Cerrito to take these photos
for you. Not one single Monarch around... I've asked people from El Rosario
and Chincua, and they say they should be appearing from any moment. We
are having, because of meteorological events in the Pacific Ocean, very
wet, cloudy and rather cold days. Later in the week, when the sun comes
up, I hope I can give you the big news!
Estela
Romero
reports from Angangueo, Michoacan.
In November, when the monarchs return to their sanctuaries, the people of Mexico are celebrating Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).
Estela Romero explains the connection to monarchs in this slideshow: "Our ancestors believed, and we continue to believe, that the souls of our dead relatives come to stay overnight with the whole family on the night of the 2nd of November."
The
Day of the Dead
at Our School in Angangueo
English/Spanish/Teacher
Guide
- Exploring Maps: Which Mexican States are on the Monarch Migration Pathway?
- Exploring Maps: The Monarch Migration Pathway in Mexico by Dr. Bill Calvert
- Slideshow: The Annual Cycle of the Monarch Butterfly
- Slideshow: The Life Cycle of the Monarch Butterfly (English/Spanish)
- Journey North for Kids: Monarch Butterfly Resources for Children
- Collecting Data: How to Monitor Fall Migration
- Observing Fall Habitat: How is Monarch Butterfly Habitat Changing?
- Encouraging Inquiry-based Research: Categorizing Questions
- More: Monarch lessons and teaching ideas
Monarch Butterfly Migration Updates Will be Posted on THURSDAYS: Aug. 27, Sep. 3, 10, 17, 24, Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, Nov. 5...or until the monarchs reach Mexico!
The Next Monarch Migration Update Will Be Posted on November 5, 2009.
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