Western Monarch Migration Still Slow. Eastern Monarch Migration Picking Up.
Endings and beginnings as monarchs leave their overwintering sanctuaries in search of milkweed, nectar, and water. Please report your observations to Journey North.
Photo: Estela Romero
(03/28/2023)
Eastern Monarch Population
Eastern Monarch Spring 2023 Report #1
Progress has picked up since last week’s update. Within the central flyway, the northern edge of monarch migration has held at Oklahoma. Along the Atlantic seaboard, monarchs are making their way northward to South Carolina. Texas remains a hot spot for monarch first sightings.
Letter From Estela Romero
Estela Romero reports: "The overwintering season has ended here at the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. Over the weekend, there was a small, remaining colony. Today this spot and throughout the Oyamel fir forests of the MBBR in Central México is empty of monarchs...There were many farewell events held in neighboring communities, with ancestral dancing and music."
Western Monarch Population
Letter from Gail Morris: Western Monarch Spring 2023 Report #6
Gail Morris writes: "A record atmospheric river battered the California coast again last week but finally, five days of dry and sunny weather slowly warmed the land. Nights were still chilly and the forecast for most of the West for the next ten days is for below-normal temperatures and above-normal chances of precipitation. How will the monarchs fare in these unusually challenging conditions?"
Please Submit Your Observational Reports
If you are observing monarchs and milkweed, please report to Journey North.
