Monarch Migration Update: April 15, 2010 | |||||||
Our northernmost monarch reached latitude 39N this week and monarchs were reported in five new states. Sightings from the Atlantic Coast may be revealing a new discovery about monarch migration. Also this week, can you name another species that eats nectar and travels where monarchs do? This Week's Update Includes:
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Image of the Week | ||||||
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A fascinating pattern is appearing on our migration map this spring. Take a look at the states along the Atlantic Coast. (We're circled the region in blue.) Three monarch sightings appeared there last week—and now there are over a dozen! Where are these East Coast monarchs coming from? Andy Davis has studied the monarch migration for years. He has written several scientific papers using Journey North migration data. “It seems mathematically impossible that those monarchs could have come up from Mexico. We could calculate the migration rate to test this," he suggested. Study the map and see what you think. Perhaps monarchs that overwinter along the Atlantic coast—or even in Cuba—join the migration from Mexico each the spring. Perhaps a hidden pattern is being revealed this spring because fewer monarchs are coming up from Mexico. This would be a remarkable discovery! April
Counts |
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Compare: Two Migrations Fueled by Nectar | |||||||
Monarch butterflies and ruby-throated hummingbirds are both migrating north right now. What are the similarities and differences between these migrations? Make predictions, pose questions and do some research. Then check your prediction against the latest migration maps. Use the fill-in-the-blank journal page to get started:
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Comparison Chart Compare, Contrast, and Predict! |
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The Migration: Maps and Journal Page | |||||||
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More
Monarch Lessons and
Teaching Ideas! |
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The Next Monarch Migration Update Will Be Posted on April 22, 2010.
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