Date: 10/12/2005

Number: 1

Something caught my eye yesterday as I walked across the grass. A monarch was on the ground flapping clumsily, attempting to warm its flight muscles. I moved it to a safer place and then it began to shiver. Shivering monarchs hold their wings flat, parallel to the ground, and quiver. Their wings move very, very quickly but only slightly; they do not flap. (See video clip.)

It was only 54 degrees F so the monarch could not fly at all and could only crawl. When the butterfly was in my hand, it had opened and closed its wings in several times as if showing off its beauty. But then it dropped from my hand and fell to the ground lifelessly. The cold temperatures had truly paralyzed the butterfly.

It’s raining today and only 50F at noon. I wonder how far south this butterfly will ultimately travel. In order to fly, a monarch’s body temperature must reach 57 degrees F. It’s mid-October now and daytime temperatures only climb that high for a few short hours of each day, if at all

Burlington, VT

Latitude: 44.5 Longitude: -73.2

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