Monarch Migration Update: Sept. 23, 2010 | ||||||||||
A migration of historic proportions took place along the Atlantic coast last week, and the leading edge of the migration entered Kansas. Read the first weekly news report from Angangueo, Mexico. Also, find out how high monarchs fly, and how high we can see them. These facts are important. After all, we're tracking migration based on visual observations. This Week's Update Includes:
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Image of the Week | |||||||||
The migration moved in clear pulses last week. One day would be quiet. The next day monarchs would be "floating," "gliding," and "soaring"—past people in office buildings, drivers in their cars, families at backyard barbecues, and a surfer riding waves. Atlantic Coast
Unfortunately, monarch migration is highly variable and unpredictable. Look what happened the same weekend, only 70 miles down the New Jersey shore! Dick Walton from the Cape May Monarch Monitoring Project reports:
The day before, a massive migration was reported up and down Long Island's beaches. Among the New Yorkers who witnessed the event were Woodhull School's 2nd and 3rd graders:
Central Pathway
When the wind and weather are right, reports like this one from Lindsborg, Kansas, show monarchs on the move:
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Research Questions: How high do monarchs fly? How high can we see them? | ||||||||||
Monarch migration can be invisible to us when we watch from the ground. There is a large gap overhead where monarchs can travel and we can't see them. How high can monarchs fly and how high can we see them? These questions are important because we are tracking migration based on visual observations. Our migration maps only show what people are able to see!
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Did You Know? |
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From Angangueo: A big hello and open doors to the monarchs!!! | ||||||||||
Many readers have asked about the rebuilding of Angangueo after last February's flood. Estela Romero, Journey North's local reporter, sends an update. She shares a true sign of her family's strong spirit: Their store--that had been open for 91 years without interruption--has reopened! Here's Estela: "Dear Journey North friends, A new season is opening in our region. As we await the Monarch´s arrival we want to say HELLO to you in several different ways:
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The Migration: Maps and Journal Page | ||||||||||
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The Next Monarch Migration Update Will Be Posted on September 30, 2010. | ||||||||||
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