Sightings per day/week

Map/Animation/Sightings

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At last! The chilly, wet weather that has slowed the migration all month finally gave way at the end of last week. Warm, moist air moved northward and the monarchs moved with it. The change was taking place as we wrote last week's report on Thursday, May 29th. Within five days, over 90 sightings were reported. Saturday produced the highest single-day count of the season, with 25 monarchs reported that day. Sightings continue to arrive at the time of writing and the map continues to change.

Some highlights:

• The northermost monarchs have been reported from the Lake Superior region, putting the migration at latitude 47 N.
• A huge wave of monarchs flooded into Ontario according to reporters there, including one from Canada's national capital in Ottawa (45N, -75W) on Saturday, May 31st.
• The same day in Tornoto, Canada's monarch expert Don Davis saw his first two monarchs. He captured one and "found it to be in excellent condition with very little fading of the wings." He added, "Milkweed at the Lake Ontario shoreline area is only 6 inches to 12 inches tall due to colder temperatures maintained by the cold lake water. However, the milkweed is in superb condition and ready for monarchs!"
• "TODAY is the big day," wrote Rick Proctor on June 2nd from Mansfield, ON (45 N, -76W). "I spotted the first single Monarch just moments ago, hanging out on the lilac flowers. Looks like things are a week later than last year."
• Check out the sighting from Nova Scotia (45 N, -64 W)! That northeasternmost report shows that the monarch population has now expanded over 2,600 miles (4,200 km) from the wintering sites in Mexico.
• The migration entered two new Canadian provinces on Tuesday, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. We're still waiting for 1st monarch reports from the provinces of Quebec, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, and from the states of Maine, North Dakota, and Rhode Island. (Look at the map and think: what might explain why no monarchs have been reported yet from Rhode Island?) Keep track on your Prediction Chart.
• Look at today's two graphs that plot the number of sightings per day and per week. Describe the story that each graph tells. >>