Migration
News: October 13, 2006 |
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A
monarch in England? How did it get there?
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Highlights
from the Migration Trail |
This
fall’s extraordinary migration added a remarkable chapter
this week. Monarchs appeared in unexpected places and in unprecedented
numbers.
The
largest gathering of the season, perhaps as many as 100,000 butterflies,
is now resting and refueling in Arkansas. |
In
New Orleans, hundreds were migrating along the longest bridge
in the world rather than travel across the open water.
Such
careful water-avoiding behavior makes one wonder: how did the
monarchs that were reported this week in the Bahamas and England
get there? |
"Por
fin en México!!!" came the word from Rocio Treviño
as this report was about to go out the door. Monarchs are crossing
the border at the rate of 100-120 per hour in Acuña, Coahuila.
Here's the news:
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Crossing
Arkansas
Photo:
David Moyers, Ph. D.
Ashley County Ledger
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10/7/06
Wilmot, AR
Dr. Jim Edson turned his car toward Wilmot when he heard this
news: monarchs were as thick as 100 per square meter on farm conservation
land there!
"I don't know how to estimate the numbers, but the tree line
is about 0.5 miles long and all of the trees were full of monarchs.
I haven't seen anything like it except in Mexico. There could
have been anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 butterflies.“
Look
at the migration map. Where do you suppose the monarchs now in
Arkansas came from? |
Crossing
the bridge
Image:
NASA
Earth Observatory
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10/7/06
New Orleans, LA
Monarchs migrate along the 24-mile bridge across Lake Pontchartrain
into New Orleans every fall.
"I
travel on Highway 11 each morning to work," says Sally Novatney.
"Monarchs follow the bridge road on their way south rather
than fly over the water. I drive as slowly as I dare so the wind
current doesn't bring them into my car."
Can
you see the city and the tiny cars when you click on the image? |
Crossing
the Caribbean?
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10/5/06
Marsh Harbour, Abaco
10/9/06 Nassau, Grand Bahama
Monarchs
were sighted on two separate Bahaman Islands this week! Both observers
said they rarely see monarchs. Where do you think these monarchs
came from?
Tagged
monarch have been recovered in the Caribbean. One from Ontario
landed in Cuba, and one from New Jersey in the Bahamas. However,
the Bahamas also have a monarch population of their own, says
Dr. Bill Calvert. Perhaps the monarchs that are blown off course
become founders of new populations, he speculates.
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This
Week: Can
a Monarch Fly Across the Atlantic Ocean? |
A
monarch butterfly was sighted across the Atlantic Ocean on Monday!
It was spotted on a small island off the West Coast of England
(49.93 N, -6.30 W). Read the observer's
comments and look at these maps (large
and close-up).
Do
you think a monarch butterfly could fly
across the ocean? Where do you think this monarch came from? Scientists
wonder about these questions, and they have posed several theories.
Before you read their ideas, think about these questions yourself:
- How
would you explain the appearance of a monarch butterfly in England?
Where do you think the monarch came from? Now
read on >>
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Teachers'
Guide |
The
suggestions in this guide are provided to help teachers integrate
Journey North's real-time program in the classroom.
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The
Next Monarch Butterfly Migration Update will be posted on October 20,
2006
Copyright
2006 Journey North. All Rights Reserved.
Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our
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