Monarch caterpillars in southern states, Western Monarch Count results
Monarch colonies in Sierra Chincua and El Rosario monarch sanctuaries remain consistent, Estela Romero reports from Mexico. Additionally, we've received reports of breeding in the southern United States as far north as South Carolina, although it's been fairly quiet since last week's southern freeze. If you're seeing monarchs near you, let us know!
Western Monarch update
By Gail Morris, Southwest Monarch Study coordinator
Note from Journey North: Since this news update was originally uploaded the Xerces Society has released the results of the 2024 Western Monarch Count. This year's count in California revealed the second-lowest population since counting began in 1997, with just over 9,000 monarchs recorded.
This is higher than the lowest record ever of less than 2,000 monarchs in 2020, but significantly lower than the numbers over the past three years, all of which exceeded 200,000 monarchs.
Of the more than 250 sites monitored by hundreds of volunteers, Lighthouse Field State Park and Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz County had the most monarchs, with about 1,400 each.
The western monarch population is separate from the population that migrates to central Mexico each winter, with the Rocky Mountains separating the two.
Read more from the Xerces Society.
Reports from the field
Seasoned reporters in the field give us a glimpse of monarch activity during the winter season, starting with Stephanie Turcotte from Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary, California:
Jan. 10 – Did we miss any?
I realized I didn’t include the date from last week’s count of 7 monarchs on Jan. 3. It’s important because, two days later, after a report of a larger cluster in the habitat, I went to double-check to make sure we hadn’t missed something. What I found was that the same large eucalyptus in the south that had the cluster of 6 on Jan. 3 now had a cluster of 25 monarchs on Jan. 5, and on another eucalyptus in the south, where we hadn’t seen any, there were approximately 42 monarchs. The total then on Jan. 5 was 67 monarchs.
So this morning's count on Jan. 10 makes a little more sense. We counted 52 monarchs. The monarchs are still predominantly on the outer branches in the southern end on the eucalyptus. They are positioned up high where they are getting the morning’s first light. They are on two established eucalyptus, with a few sprinkled on a few eucalyptus branches hanging on the interior side in the south. It was 46°F this morning, but the days have been warming up to 60°F, plus or minus a degree or two. We are still dry here, just like the rest of California. We are all hoping for rain for the monarchs but especially for relief from the fires in Southern California. Even some fog would be welcome in Pacific Grove.
Jan. 17- Trees that shouldn’t be blooming, are
While we all listen to reports from southern California, worrying about the people and other living beings, walking into the monarch habitat, in Pacific Grove, I get to immerse myself in the search for our small contingent of monarchs for a short period of time. It’s a purposeful distraction.
Thankfully, we found them … some … 72 monarchs, mainly on the one eucalyptus, in two clusters, in the southern portion of the grove overhanging the neighbor’s yard. There were 3 others sprinkled, separately on other eucalyptus — even two roosting on the south side, but in the habitat. (1/16/25)
We have had cool mornings and very warm days — almost 70° in Pacific Grove yesterday. Trees that shouldn’t be blooming are. It all feels very strange, as does 72 monarchs in Pacific Grove, California.
Diana Magor, Santa Cruz, California
Diana reports the monarch counts from the Santa Cruz region.
Jan. 10 – Looking for monarchs
Our count on Friday, Jan. 10 was 1,323 monarchs with four counters: Diana Magor, Liana Crabtree, Kelly Blough & Debra Sells.
Sunny, 52°, NE breeze 2 mph. Cold overnight temp ~44°.
The previous two days had strong offshore winds. Monarchs had mostly moved from the west side branches of the Monterey Cypress tree 12W (1,088 on Jan 6) to the south sides of the cypresses on the sunny southern border of the grove, protected from the northeast winds (819). Some (160) had moved into the interior of the grove onto tree 7 where they were protected from north winds.
5 East side Eucalyptus: 14
Tree7 Inside Cypress: 160
Tree12 Cypress (west): 328
Tree12 Cypress (south): 9
Tree13 Eucalyptus: 1
Tree14 Cypress: 730
Tree15 Cypress: 79
Flyer: 1
Grounder: 1
Total : 1,323
One dead monarch was found, killed and partially eaten by chickadees. One mating was observed. State parks kindly put up three sandwich signs on the new widened path asking that people walk their bikes over the area in front of the monarch sanctuary, and that everyone look out for monarchs on the ground to avoid stepping on them.
Jan. 17 – Just a few mating
On Friday, Jan. 17, on a cold (44°) overcast morning, we counted 1,205 monarchs at Lighthouse Field.
All but five loners were on Monterey Cypress trees in the grove. A count of 840 were clustered on a Cypress (Tree7) inside the grove, mostly facing south and shielded from winds in all directions (there was a cold, light wind from the NE that morning). Another 280 were tightly clustered under south-facing limbs on another Monterey cypress (Tree14) on the south side, 80 were hanging on a branch under another cypress on the west side (Tree12) and there were five loners on an east-facing blue gum Euclyptus. One of David James' tags L6678 was resighted (the fourth sighting there this season). It had been released on Sept. 18 from Elkton, Oregon.
On Wednesday, Jan. 15, two monarchs were observed sunning in the afternoon on our newly planted Monterey Cypress inside the grove, and many of the monarchs were sunning on the south side of the cypresses. Two matings were observed, but no large numbers have been seen mating yet. Although it has been warm and sunny in the afternoons, it’s still very cold at night.
On Thursday, Jan. 16, Beth Bell and I were given entry into the fenced and gated Eucalyptus grove at the UCSC Arboretum, and after stumbling around broken tree limbs, lots of duff and poison oak, we managed to find 14 monarchs, many in a small sunny grassy area, but didn’t find any clusters.
It’s a relatively large site with many species of Eucalyptus trees, some very tall, and we surmise there may be several more monarchs there that we did not see. It’s a mere 2.5 miles due north of Natural Bridges State Beach, a well-known and important overwintering site, which lost virtually all its 2,125 monarchs in early December during a heavy southerly storm. The monarchs there were also besieged by yellow jacket wasps, chickadees, and recently scrub jays. We wonder if some of those monarchs moved to the Arboretum, as well as to several other Santa Cruz sites, such as Lighthouse Field and Moran Lake.
We surveyed both those sites on the same day at the same time to get a total of the two sites. On Jan. 6, I counted 1,376 at Lighthouse Field while Beth Bell and John Dayton found 450 at Moran Lake for a total of 1,826. But they counted 580 there on Jan 10. Our maximum counts for both sites were 1,500 at Lighthouse Field on Dec. 28 and 810 at Moran Lake on Dec. 13 before the big storm.
Monarchs are nectaring here on the Blue gum Eucalyptus flowers and aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum) at Lighthouse Field, and Verbena lilacina ‘De La Mina’, a California native, in my garden.
We’ll continue sending out reports until most of the monarchs have departed.
Wanted: Monarch Sightings
Thank you to Stephanie Turcotte and Diana Magor for their reports from the California overwintering sites. Winter monarch reports are important wherever you live! Please send in your sightings to help us present a balanced report of where monarchs are appearing each week. Report adult monarchs, eggs, or larvae to Journey North weekly. Your detailed description of what you see can include, but is not limited to, the monarch’s gender and activity. If known, include the type of flowers if they are nectaring or milkweed type if laying eggs. Photos are encouraged and welcomed with all your reports.
Gail Morris is the coordinator of the Southwest Monarch Study (www.swmonarchs.org). She is also a Monarch Watch conservation specialist, the vice president of the Central Arizona Butterfly Association and sits in several western working groups. The Western Monarch News is based on comments provided to Gail Morris. We hope to increase the number of sightings and therefore photos and comments entered into Journey North. We rely on the volunteers who communicate regularly with Gail and who agree to participate in our effort to increase awareness of the population of western Monarchs. You can reach her at gail@swmonarchs.org
An update from Mexico
By Estela Romero (View in video form)
The peak of the season goes on and good weather prevails with mild, sunny and warm daytime but moderate cold to freezing nights. Plenty of streams and canopy are delightful compared to very stressed surroundings the past few seasons.
El Rosario Sanctuary provides important technical information on the migrating generation’s location and area occupation to both local and international visitors providing them with a much better sense about the greatness of the extraordinary natural phenomenon welcoming them here.
El Rosario, traditionally the largest colony, keeps its same slightly changing distribution patterns at its same traditional site this whole week.
It has remained located at this traditional more abundant forest patch and it might be they are getting less sun here, local guides comment.
The great migration shall be subject of study for science this particular season due to its singular distribution and behavior at this point this year.
Sierra Chincua continues keeping its exact location but has slightly changed its distribution only to a different beautiful now. Its distribution keeps it outstanding in spite of its rather small size.
Curiously, the forest area where this Sierra Chincua population is located, — traditional for them — is a much more open area with less trees, in which monarchs are more exposed to wind currents, sun rays and frost, getting on the other side sunnier and warmer faster in the mornings, though.
Perishing and predation at both colonies start to appear a little more abundantly but definitely all accordingly to this time in their winter, dormant phase.
The forecast warns of moderately cold temperatures prevailing for these highest regions in central México, however, February is almost here and changes in behavior patterns at colonies shall happen as soon as temperatures present the smallest variations warmer.
Until then, the resilient creatures shall be guarded in order to complete this determinant and important phase in the life cycle of our exceptional super generation.
El pico de la temporada continúa y predomina el buen clima con días tibios y soleados pero con noches moderadamente frías a congelantes. Suficiente agua en arroyos y maleza hacen contraste con la sequía de temporadas anteriores.
El Santuario El Rosario nos proporciona información importante sobre la localización y el área de ocupación de la generación migratoria para los visitantes nacionales e internacionales dándoles una mucha mejor noción sobre la grandeza del extraordinario fenómeno natural que les da la bienvenida.
El Rosario, tradicionalmente la colonia más grande, continúa conservando su misma distribución ligeramente cambiante en su mismo sitio.
Se han conservado en este que es uno de sus lugares tradicionales, donde está un poco más cerrado el bosque y podrían estar recibiendo menos sol, comentan los guías locales.
La gran migración habrá de ser objeto de estudio para la ciencia esta temporada, debido a su singular conducta y distribución hasta el día de hoy.
Sierra Chincua continúa manteniendo su misma localización sólo cambiado ligeramente su distribución adquiriendo ahora una belleza diferente. Su distribución la hace sobresaliente a pesar de su tamaño mas bien pequeño.
Curiosamente, el área de bosque donde esta población de Sierra Chincua está localizada — tradicional para ellas — es mucho más despoblada en arbolado, por lo que está más expuesta a corrientes de aire, a los rayos de sol y al hielo, recibiendo, sin embargo al sol más temprano y calentando más rápido.
La mortandad y la depredación en ambas colonias comienza a aparecer un poco más abundante, pero definitivamente congruente a este punto de la temporada de invierno, su fase de adormecimiento.
El clima predice que continuarán las temperaturas moderadamente frías para las regiones altas del centro de México, sin embargo, Febrero casi llega y comenzarán los cambios en conducta en cuanto las temperaturas presenten las primeras mínimas variaciones a la alta.
Hasta entonces, las resilientes criaturas habrán de resguardarse para hacer posible la terminación de ésta tan determinante e importante fase de cierre en el ciclo de vida de nuestra excepcional super generación.
Estela Romero is an environmental educator with Monarchs Across Georgia. Reporting from Angangueo, Michoacán, Estela Romero's work is made possible by funding from Monarchs Across Georgia and the Monarch Butterfly Fund. Estela Romero es educadora ambiental de Monarchs Across Georgia. Informando desde Angangueo, Michoacán, el trabajo de Estela Romero es posible gracias a la financiación de Monarchs Across Georgia y el Monarch Butterfly Fund.
Hanging around in the Gulf states
By Jacob Swanson, Journey North
Not all monarchs make their way to Mexico, with some people in southern states continuing to see monarchs throughout the winter. So far in January, we've received reports of adults from Florida, Texas, Georgia and Louisiana.
Additionally, we've received reports of breeding in Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and even South Carolina, though many of these locations were hit with freezing temperatures and even snow in January.
"Milkweed (non-native) nearby but no foliage to feed on," wrote JoAnn in Dauphin Island, Alabama on Jan. 15.
April in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina reported the northernmost report of breeding this month, photographing a caterpillar on balloon milkweed, a species of African milkweed, on Jan. 6.
Since the temperatures dropped last week, we have only received reports from Florida, with JoAnn's report on Jan. 15 the most recent report of a larva anywhere else in the United States.
We appreciate reports of both adults and breeding activity. If you see monarchs in any life stage, submit your reports with as much detail as you can, including the type of milkweed that monarchs are using or flowers that adults are visiting.
Symbolic Migration keeps on rolling
By Susan Meyers, Monarchs Across Georgia
Nearly 70% of the ambassadors have been delivered to 18 schools! All Ambassadors will likely be delivered by February 2025.
In November and December, Estela Romero focused her visits near the Cerro Pelon Sanctuary in the communities of Macheros, El Capulin, and neighboring towns. After Winter Break, her focus has moved northward to La Mesa, which borders the El Rosario Sanctuary. See the accompanying map on the right of the page.
To find your ambassador, visit the Symbolic Migration website and click the search bar at the top right of the page. Enter your city or school or organization name. This process takes from November 2024 to February 2025, so if your ambassador hasn't been delivered, it will be soon. If you have questions, contact symbolic-migration@eealliance.org.
The Symbolic Monarch Migration project is a partnership project between Journey North (a program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum) and Monarchs Across Georgia (a committee of the nonprofit organization, the Environmental Education Alliance). Journey North hosts educational materials on its website. Monarchs Across Georgia administers the project including coordinating the exchange of symbolic butterflies among 2000+ classrooms in three countries, engaging a contract worker to provide lessons and deliver materials in Mexico, and raising funds for the project's continuation. The Monarch Butterfly Fund continues to support our Mexico Book Project through their Small Grants program. Books purchased with grant funds supplement environmental education lessons facilitated through our Symbolic Monarch Migration project.
