Hurricane Patricia threatened to intersect the migration last weekend, but the storm dissipated quickly and, in its wake, the monarchs moved in a strong pulse along northern Mexico's Sierra Madres.
"Peak migration is here. There are monarchs flying over my house right now! You can see them all over Ciudad Victoria, floating like bubbles in the sky."
— October 27, 2015 Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas
Only 80 Miles to Go
The southernmost roost report came from a town in central Mexico, only 80 miles north of the overwintering region.
"We have 40 monarchs roosting in our conifer tree. Normal arrival is around Halloween based on my 14 years of observation."
— October 25, 2015 San Miguel Allende, Guanajuato
Vacating the North
Note the dramatic drop in sightings reported from north of the Mexican border over the past 3 weeks.
October |
# Monarchs |
7 - 13 |
150,000 |
14 - 20 |
15,000 |
21 - 27 |
2,000 |
Population Increase?
More roosts and larger concentrations this fall are raising hopes for a population increase from the record lows of the past 3 years. Scientists will measure the population in December; results are typically available by March.
- Looking at the graph, how do you think this winter's population will compare to those in previous years?
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