"In a wonderful, bright, sunny sky, thousands of monarchs came down the canyon in such a playful rush. Incredibly, they were diverting their flight at the very last second to avoid me..."

Monarchs in Motion
Clear, dry weather stimulates the butterflies to move out of their colonies for water. Mexico's dry season began when the monarchs arrived, about 4 months ago. As the ambient air becomes increasingly dry, it dries out the forest and the butterflies. The wind — and the lack of moisture in the air — dries them quickly. Dew, a source of water earlier in the season, is no longer available.

In Search of Water
The monarchs must leave their clusters and travel to water. At the sanctuary, Estela witnessed the flurry of activity:

"I cannot remember such an incredible display. Monarchs carpeted the ground, jamming ponds and small rivers to drink, flying rapidly in all directions and criss-crossing without colliding."

Recovering Monarch Tags
Estela joined Monarch Watch volunteer Diane Pruden last weekend to collect tags. Several hundred are recovered each season at the sanctuaries. People are on the lookout for the tiny tags. When found, they wait for the annual visit from Monarch Watch. For each tag recovered there's a 50-peso reward.

"When our children come home with a tag, they give it to us parents for keeping it safe until the time collection comes" says Carmen, one of the women who brought tags this year.