Date: 03/17/2011

Number: 1

Today was the third year that I have visited El Rosario and for me, it was the best. The butterflies were everywhere but as the horse made our way higher, the monarchs just got thicker and thicker. We had to brush them away at times. This was at around 3 PM with a temperature ranging from a high of 21C to a low of approximately 18C. The day bright and sunny with high cumulus clouds. We passed a huge hilly, obviously cleared in the past, field which had streams of monarchs from about 2' above the ground to as high as I could see. A remarkable sight. Beyond that, we left the horses and continued walking along the trail for about 10 minutes. As it curved slightly, there were still many monarchs flying but many were dead or dying on the ground. As I mentioned yesterday, their bodies had been eaten. My guide said that this was done, on the wing, by a bird named Calandria. Apparently they come down the mountains with the butterflies. He said they were red (reddish, pink). A quick search lead me to Orioles although I did not find any in that color group without using my imagination. I have not had time to determine which Orioles might be in this area of Mexico. Maybe someone on the list will know or can find out. I did not see the bird. The guide said that they come earlier in the day. Just beyond the curve, a round area with a diameter of approximately 100 meters was almost solid with roosting monarchs! Many were flying as well. However, the branches of these trees were bent downward with the weight. This was view for the full 360 degrees. The guide said this was the lowest that they would roost this year and that they would all have flown within two weeks.

Courtesy of Monarch Watch

El Rosario, MIC

Latitude: 19.6 Longitude: -100.3

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