Date: 03/12/2006

Number: 1

Monarchs have been on the increase this week. Wednesday we had 40 mph prefrontal winds from the south and Altus saw one Monarch near Victoria and one near Port Lavaca. Thursday morning there was a dry wind blowing out of the west at 25 to 30. We saw a monarch flying down the street near home that afternoon on a flight taking it from south to north, then got home and discovered a male patrolling the curassavica that is sprouting.

Since we didn't have a freeze along any of the bays up and down the Texas coast, the population of coastal monarchs that overwinter down here may have done well (or their offspring) and those that survived and wish to migrate now are riding this south wind to places north and northeast of us. They could be mingling with the early remigrants from Mexico about now. The amount of fade in the wings of a monarch coming up from Mexico after the winter compared with one from the Texas coast may be drastic. Here are some of the very faded ones that we photo'd that we felt had spent the winter in Mexico ... very faded.
http://asclepias.homestead.com/fade02b.html
Central Texas could be hosting a good deal of this number now moving out of the sanctuaries in Mexico later next week. Watch for them and watch for the fade. Hope there is some milkweed mature enough for them.

Courtesy of Monarch Watch

Victoria, TX

Latitude: 28.8 Longitude: -97

Observed by: Harlen E.
Contact Observer

The observer's e-mail address will not be disclosed.
Contact will be made through a web-based form.