Monarchs appear to be on the move! Eight monarchs were reported monarchs since our last update.
When you see your first monarch this spring, please send the news to Journey North. By e-mail send your report to: jn-report@learner.org or press the blue button "Report Field Observations" below.
One report, from Chico, California, brings a Challenge Question to mind:
Challenge Question # 62
"Do you think the monarch sighted in Chico, California, flew all the way from Mexico? How do you interpret this report?"
To respond to this challenge question, please follow the instructions at the end of this report.
Blake School teacher Jon Dicus went back to Angangueo, Mexico over spring break to check on the computer he and his students left there. He also checked on the monarchs! Here are his comments:
"Dear Students,
"I had good visit to Angangueo for two days. I was there on Monday the 18th and Tuesday the 19th of March. The butterflies have definitely started leaving and they estimate that about half had left when we were there.
"The monarchs were very active. They were flying about in large numbers at the edge of the sanctuary. Mating was rampant. Male monarchs were grabbing hold of the females in mid-air and dropping out of the air and onto the ground by the second where they flapped around, the male subduing the female and mating with her, or on occasion the female would repell the male and fly away.
"As the previous report said, the butterflies were flying all over Angangueo and many were obviously departing or preparing to soon do so. I imagine that 3/4 of the population has left by now, if not more."
Jon Dicus, Spanish Teacher
The Blake Schools Minneapolis, Minnesota
Here are our most recent sightings:
Date Location
March 7 Buda, TX (near Austin)
March 21 Chico, CA
March 24 Buda, TX
March 24 College Station, TX
March 28 Austin, TX
March 28 Buda, TX
March 30 College Station, TX
March 31 Ada, OK
In next week's report we will include monthly summaries of all sightings reported during March 1995 and 1996. This will enable you to compare this spring's migration to last year's.
Many students responded to Challenge Question # 54 in which we asked how poor habitat conditions in Texas and Louisiana might affect the timing of the monarch migration in your area. We've included their responses below.
Comments From Observers
From TEXAS:
March 7, 24, 28 & 29
Hello there! Excitement reigns in the central Texas area. Several
monarchs have been spotted.
Around March 7, my husband spotted one flying about 20+ feet high
in the Kyle/San Marcos area. After that there was a period where
no more were seen but we attribute that to another cold spell.
Then on March 24, my son saw one nectoring not far from our home in
Buda (outside Austin). On March 28, I spotted 2 nectoring and 1
flying through at about 20+ feet high all in the Buda area. On
March 29, one was seen in the Austin area, again this one was noted
to be flying about 20+ feet high. I have gone to my usual spots to
locate milkweed but have been unable to find it just yet. I will
pass that information on to you when I have it.
Until then....Cindy Stanford
cindy4@Leslie-Francis.tenet.edu or cindy4@tenet.edu
From CALIFORNIA:
March 21
I saw a monarch flying here last week(3/21) It was an early
surprise! Bill Bridgnell, Chico, California KingBrav@aol.com
From TEXAS:
March 24 & March 30
Dear Journey North, I saw my first Monarch here in College Station,
TX on March 30, 1996. But my office-mate saw one here on March 24th.
Mike Quinn, Graduate Student
Texas A&M Univ. Dept. Entomology
College Station, TX
MQnature@tamu.edu
From TEXAS:
March 28
I saw two Monarch butterflies on Thursday, March 28 at approximately
5 pm in southwest Austin. They were beautiful!
Donna Martinez donnam@tenet.edu
From OKLAHOMA:
MARCH 31
I saw a monarch at 1PM today March 31 on a golf course at Ada, Ok
which is about 140 miles north of Dallas. It was flying north into
a head wind of of about 15-20 mph, and making good headway while
staying about 2 or 3 feet above the ground.
Jim Herndon jfh@cs.ecok.edu
Students Answer Challenge Question # 54:
From NEW HAMPSHIRE:
We are Mrs.Kenneys class at Great Brook School Antrim SW New
Hampshire. The Monarch butterflies eat the necter and lay eggs on
milkweed.If there's no food in Texes and Louisiana now,they won't be
able to fly north as soon. Some might die if they have no food.It
will take the Monarchs longer to get here so they will arrive later
in your back yard the whole migration might be delayed.
gb1_school@mountk.conknet.com (Great Brook School Computer Lab)
From ILLINOIS:
After some discussion, our class had differnt opinions. Some members felt that the problems in Texas and Louisiana would cause the monarchs to arrive 1 to 2 months late. Another idea was that they would arrive earlier because they would leave "unfriendly areas" sooner and push on quicker in their journey. A few felt that the monarch's routes would adjust east or west looking for good conditions. And finally, a small group felt that the butterflies would be better off not migrating at all this year.
We are looking forward to finding out just what the monarchs do.
Room 6 Reporters, Sixth Grade - James Hart Junior High Homewood, IL
ghuizinga@kiwi.dep.anl.gov
From MINNESOTA:
Vandyke Elementary, Coleraine MN has fourth grade students working
on Monarch Butterfly research. We think that if food is scarce in
Texas and Louisiana, the Monarachs will come north sooner to find
food. We usually see Monarch butterflies near us in late May to
early June. This group is in Mrs. Domish's class. Their names are
Brian, Chase, Sara, Jeff and Kurtis. Vandyke Elementary, Greenway
Schools ,Coleraine MN 0316vel@informns.k12.mn.us
From MINNESOTA:
I think the monarchs go faster because there is not
to much of the plants. Jose B. LAKEVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
ROBBINSDALE MN. user@metro2.k12.mn.us
How to Respond to Challenge Question # 62
1. Send an e-mail message to jn-challenge@learner.org
2. In the Subject line write: Challenge Question # 62.
3. In the Body of your message, answer this question:
"Do you think the monarch sighted in Chico, California, flew all the way from Mexico? How do you interpret this report?"
The Next Monarch Migration Update Will be Posted on April 9, 1996.
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