Comments from Observers in Texas
March, 2005

See interactive map to read all migration reports

03/22/05 San Antonio, TX (29.46 N, -98.52 W)
Today our life science class was planting tropical milkweed in our butterfly garden, when I saw a monarch butterfly land on top of a milkweed. We went back into the classroom and watched out the window. She came back to our newly planted milkweed and started laying eggs. I went back out with a net and caught her. Wing damage 3 Wing condition 3. Then everyone in the class went back out and found eggs on their milkweed. All in one 45 minute class period! (The next morning, there were 21 eggs on 15 plants!)

03/22/05 Victoria, TX (28.81 N, -96.98 W)
Altus Aschen saw the monarch approach “from the SSW, hesitate when it got to the south facing brick wall of the main building, and finally fly up and over. It was on a heading generally to the north. She said the flight was rapid and dedicated with the monarch's three to five strong beats, and then a short glide.

03/22/05 Cypress, TX (29.99 N, -95.68 W)
Wow! It was exciting to see the first adult Monarch this year. Our gardens are ready with nectar and Milkweed leaves. Our first female Monarch was observed laying eggs continuously for fifteen minutes before flying away. She appeared in good shaped but very faded in color. Could this be an overwintering Monarch? Or one from Mexico?

03/22/05 Galveston, TX (29.30 N, -94.78 W)
I had 2 fresh monarchs in my yard today in Galveston County, Tx. I was told that they were not the migrants because they were so fresh.

03/23/05 Port O’Conner, TX (28.44 N, -96.40 W)
I see monarchs pretty much every day. Had 3-5 in the yard today. We were having monarchs right up to the freeze during Christmas. After that they disappeared for several weeks. But I think it was about late January when they started showing again here and there. Numbers have been picking up lately with the migrants on the move.

03/17/05 Mission, TX (28.44 N, -96.40 W) and Alamo, TX (26.19 N, -98.11 W)
Monarchs were on the move in the Rio Grande Valley. I saw multiple individuals at Santa Ana NWR (Alamo, TX) and at the NABA International Butterfly Park in (Mission, TX). Valley residents reported only a few individuals prior to Thursday's push.