Field reports from California, Arizona
Monarch sightings continue to increase along the California coastal regions from the southern border all the way to Oakland, as well as in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona up to the greater Phoenix area. Remigrants will continue to work their way north and east through the West the next few weeks until they reach the end of their lives. But the next generation will soon appear and continue streaming to the Canadian border by summer.
From the Field
Diana Magor - Lighthouse Field, Santa Cruz, California
I am seeing the occasional monarch fly through my garden and the new space near Lighthouse Field as I’m setting up as a nectar garden every sunny, warm day. They all behave like males looking for females, but I’m not seeing any females or eggs or caterpillars. There were a couple of days in the 80s, followed by cool, rainy days recently, and for the next week.
It appears there are some adults remaining in Santa Cruz after the major dispersal in late February. The last count I did at Lighthouse Field was on Feb 28, with only 21 monarchs remaining, all males, mostly sunning.
On my walks to Lighthouse Field recently, I have seen two or three monarchs flitting about in and around the monarch sanctuary at Lighthouse Field. Saw three on April 5 and two today (April 6) there, (one neat ring on the abundant False Radish in the adjacent fields, as well as two flying through my new garden space a block away, and two at my home garden 2.2 miles from Lighthouse Field. All seem to be worn males, still hanging around since the overwintering aggregation broken up end of March. I have seen no females looking for milkweed, although there is milkweed in home gardens, including mine.
The chrysalis on a potted plant in my garden is still green. Monarch nectar plants, including Pacific Aster (Symphyotrichum chilense) and native yarrow in the state park garden, are all growing well, and I hope will all be blooming if and when the monarchs return in the fall.
I spoke with a woman from Santa Barbara today and she said the vast majority of monarchs at Ellwood early in the 24/25 season left after a storm and didn’t return. The same thing happened at Natural Bridges.
Our numbers at Lighthouse Field increased steadily to 1,478 till Dec. 10, dropped to 1,049 the day after a big storm, then rose steadily to 1,500, our highest count, on Dec. 28, and remained high until late January. Despite the wasp attacks that occurred between late November and early December which killed at least 68 monarchs, our numbers rose as other sites' numbers fell.
I’m tentatively suggesting that the preference for Lighthouse Field over some other sites many have been due to the excellent wind barriers that have been planted over the last 20 or so years on the stormy south side of the overwintering site there. Emma Pelton recommended such a barrier in her evaluation of Lighthouse Field several years ago. Those Monterey Cypress trees, plus others planted thanks to John Dayton about 20-plus years ago, have succeeded in significant protection of the trees and monarchs inside the monarch sanctuary, resulting in decreased winds and higher temperatures. The monarchs move inside the sanctuary onto Monterey Cypress exclusively as the stormy winter season progresses. This movement from eucalyptus to other species such as cypress and pines as the overwintering season progresses has been reported by others in different sites as well, including Pacific Grove.
I strongly suggest that more Monterey Cypress be planted as both wind barriers with emphasis on protection from the southerly winter storms, and as clustering trees at overwintering sites. We have planted three more nine-foot Monterey Cypress trees this season in carefully selected locations both in and outside Lighthouse Field, all of which are growing well.
I’m also growing a monarch nectar garden at a community garden space one block north of Lighthouse Field, with an emphasis on fall-blooming species, many natives. Most of our monarchs have been seen nectaring on both the eucalyptus flowers in the sanctuary and the recently-planted Pacific Asters in the state park garden a few meters west of the overwintering site.
Arizona Sightings
We usually do not see many monarchs in spring, but this year has been exciting. We found more adult monarchs and larvae than usual, a pleasant surprise when we step outside or take a walk. We hope this is the beginning of the expansion of the low numbers of overwintering monarchs as the season progresses. So far, we’ve discovered five fifth instar larvae on Desert (Rush) Milkweed (Asclepias subulata) buds and flowers in our yard. Since the immatures were almost the same size and found in close proximity, the eggs were likely laid by the same female monarch. After about 10 days of no adult monarch presence, yesterday my husband, Bob, called me to look in our front yard. We were excited to see two male monarchs flying energetically together over the milkweed and spring flowers in bloom -- quite a treat to see!
With temperatures steadily warming and flowers and trees in bloom everywhere, there is plenty of nectar to nourish monarchs through the lower desert regions in Arizona. Native Palo Verde trees are spectacular nectar resources packed with yellow flowers exploding everywhere for spring migrating monarchs to refuel as they journey through our region.
Wanted: Monarch and Milkweed Sightings
Do you see milkweed up? Are you lucky enough to see any monarchs this spring? 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 participates in several western monarch 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