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Monarch Butterfly News: October 24, 2013
By Elizabeth Howard |
Please Report
Your Sightings! |
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The migration is crossing into Mexico now. Although it's their first migration, monarchs follow routes previous monarchs have flown.
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Image of the Week |
Monarch to monarca
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News: Crossing the Border |
Cruzando la Frontera
¡Ya están acá! They're here! The long-awaited wave of monarchs has entered Mexico. Observers reported from three Mexican states. How many monarchs did they see and how high were the butterflies flying?
Nuevo Leon: "Hoy durante tres horas las monarcas se vieron por miles en algunos lados del AM de Monterrey, recibí correos y llamadas por teléfono informando del paso de la migración," reports Rocio Treviño of Mexico's monarch tracking project, Correo Real. October 23
Coahuila: "Hace menos de 30 minutos empecé a ver monarcas por el cielo de Saltillo, un promedio de 1 por minuto. Las mariposas vuelan a una altura de 3-20 metros con dirección al este." October 22, Saltillo, Coahuila
Tamaulpius: "El día de ayer vi mariposas perchadas, pero solo eran cinco."
October 20, Jaumave, Tamaulipas
Crossing Texas Schoolyards
As monarchs streamed across the Texas skies last week, students witnessed them passing overhead:
Arlington: R. F. Patterson Elementary
"We think they were migrating to Mexico!" said second graders who counted 17 monarchs flying southwest over their school during recess.
Austin: Trinity School
"In 25 minutes, our class saw 13 monarchs flying high in the sky from the north."
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Monarch Population: Why the Decline? |
Monarch numbers are down and people are wondering why. Examine the factors that caused the decline during the past year, and the downward trend over the past decade. Explore how you can help.
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News from Mexico: Letter from Estela |
During this week's expedition, the hungry monarch hunters found the local bread truck filled with traditional favorites. Estela predicts the first monarchs will soon:
"Our sixth sense as natives of this Hosting Land for Monarchs tells us that they are already silently creeping nearby."
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Spotlight: Explore the Possible Pathway in Mexico |
"The direction the monarchs
travel is delightfully confusing!" writes monarch expert Dr. Bill Calvert.
Which Mexican states do the monarchs cross as they travel to their winter
home?
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Tracking the Migration: Map and Journal |
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Next Update October 31, 2013 |
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