Summer
is over! A cold air mass swept across the continent last week, insisting
that it's time for fall. People noted the "stop and go"
nature of monarch migration during this dramatic change in weather.
As these comments highlight, monarchs move during windows of opportunity
and rest and refuel in between:
Central
region:
Iowa, Indiana, Missouri and Kansas saw the most action:
9/20/06
Prairie City, IA
It was truly a surprise to see so many monarchs after days of rain
and much colder weather. I suspect many had been delayed to the
north by the bad weather.
9/18/06
Amana, IA
Sitting in the parking lot at work during lunch I counted 45 Monarchs
in 25 minutes. All were trying to fly SW. They better hurry because
the temperature is predicted to fall down to 30 F by Wednesday morning.
9/18/06
Kansas City, MO (39.10 N, -94.60 W)
I sat down and, for an hour, observed a wonderful flight - 175 monarchs.
Most of them are sailing high above the rooftops and treetops, but
a few have dropped down to feed on the flowers. As I write this
at 11:10 am, I can see 5 in my yard now!
9/16/06
Monroe City, MO
I first noticed the monarchs on Saturday the 16th. The weather turned
cooler late on the 18th and, the next day, the monarchs were gone! |
Migration
Rate Math
As
the monarchs funnel toward Mexico their numbers overhead become
greater and greater.
Here are observations we collected this week. Who will see the record
flight for fall 2006? Let's see!
"We
counted 37 butterflies in 15 minutes going over our playground at
school."
Memorial Primary
Bluefield, WV
"Our
class went outside at 1:10 and observed for 10 minutes..."
Atchison
Elementary
Atchison, Kansas
|
Eastern
region:
When
a northwest wind hits the ridges of the Appalachian Mountains the
air lifts upward. Monarchs can fly along the ridges effortlessly
toward the southwest. Under such conditions came this...
9/15/06
Waynesboro, VA (38.03 N, -78.86 W)
It's difficult to adequately describe the most impressive
flight I have ever witnessed. Not a single one here and one there,
but clusters filled the sky, quickly moving through by the brisk
NW winds, a continuous flow.
And
from the Monarch's winter home in Mexico:
9/21/06
Angangueo, Michoacan, MX (19 N, -100 W) No monarch butterflies
in sight yet... (Estela Romero has the whole community watching!
>>) |