Monarch Butterflies

(Back to this week's update.)

The Texas Monarch Watch with 19 excited monarch enthusiasts has just returned from two days adventures at monarch butterfly colonies. We visited Rosario on March 2nd (Texas Independence Day) and Pelon/ Macheros on March 3rd. We were blessed with superb weather, moderate temperatures and no clouds.

Visit to El Rosario Colony (March 2)
At Rosario we saw a much-changed infrastructure. The tiendas (stores) that sold food and Monarch rememberances were moved from their previous location to a location higher on the hill. There were more of them, but paradoxically, the majority was closed. There was evidence of massive amounts of water having moved through the area. At one place the road had been covered with mud and rock and the stream bottom looked thoroughly scoured.

The butterfly colony had descended to a point only 500 meters above the ticket booths – a very easy walk. At first we were surprised and disappointed that the upper trails were closed, but soon realized that there was nothing to see further up the slope. The butterflies occupied maybe 25 trees in what could be called dense clusters around the paved trail upslope and near the point where the up and down trails of the loop converged. Another 40 to 50 trees located above and out from the trees with dense clusters had small, late season clusters or many basking butterflies on them. Much mating was apparent and an entire 20-foot tree contained dozens of mating pairs. There was much drinking around the few water sources and much flight activity. We noticed little nectaring. There were very few plants in flower. Along the side of the trails, we observed many dead monarchs. It is possible that some of this accumulation had resulted from their being swept there to clear the trails of dead and dying butterflies.

Visit to Maceros/Pelon Colony (March 3)
We arrived mid-day at Maceros/ Pelon and immediately settled into a delicious lunch of fresh trout from the Macheros trout farm. After lunch we observed another creature taking its lunch apparently oblivious to being observed by gawking monarch enthusiasts. A Casein’s flycatcher grabbed a monarch and after divesting it of its wings, gulped the body parts down. It sat there on the wire for some time afterward seemingly content and apparently unaware that it was supposed to vomit out its meal. After some time we grew bored, mounted our horses (one of which was a feisty little stallion who had never carried a tourist before) and proceeded up the mountain to the butterfly colony.

The higher we climbed, the more butterflies that filled the spaces around the road and in the surrounding forest. They seemed especially concentrated above portions of the road in direct sunlight. It may be that they receive and absorb warmth radiated from the sunlit road. The colony itself was smaller than last week, the butterflies occupying maybe 10 trees. Many were basking. We learned that the colony had descended as was expected and now occupied an area near the dry waterfall, El Salto. On the way up many butterflies were nectaring. The number of flowering plants was considerably greater than what we had observed at El Rosario the day before. Flowering Eupatorium was especially abundant.

All told, the experience was delightful and although smaller in number than we have witnessed in past years, the health of the surviving monarchs seemed good.

Bill and Bonnie
Monarch Watch of Texas

Meet Dr. Bill Calvert
Story and Video Clip

Estela Romero

A Mated Pair Much mating was apparent and an entire 20-foot tree contained dozens of mating pairs.