Hi, butterfly watchers--
I found this Monarch BF migration information on Monarch Watch and would like to share it.
http://www.monarchwatch.org/tagmig/peak.html
You can estimate the peak migration dates through your area.
If you don't know your latitude you can google your city and latitude--for instance "Cincinnati OH latitude" (don't use quotation marks) and the information will come up. ( FYI Cincinnati is 39 degrees.)
Peak Fall Migration Dates for the Monarchs
my peak time will be the first week or 2 of October at 30 degrees
I'm at 43 degrees, so peak Sept 11 (unfortunately 9/11 is a very easy date to remember)
Here's a map showing some of the main migration routes for fall migration south.
http://www.monarchwatch.org/tagmig/fallmap.htm
Thanks for the map, Linda.
Unfortunately, they don't come by me. :( Maybe I should move. LOL
wow that is soooo cool. according to map, they go right by houston area, and according to lat. 29.5 they will be here week of Oct 10.
but... what does this mean? I assume it means I will see lots of them during that period? wonder if I need to prepare in any way. I was thinking about getting a couple more plants. would that make sense?
LOL vossner you are too funny. Yes, run out and get some more Milkweed right now! Or I'll pull up my leftover MW and fedex it to you after they pass through Cincy in Sept!! It should get there in time. Actually it sounds like they are mainly interested in nectaring and not laying eggs, so I'm sure you will have lots of tasty blooms on your monarch buffet for them.
I was nosing around on the 'Monarch Watch' site and the 'Journey North/South Migration' sites trying to learn about the Migration and it appears that when flying south (west) to Mexico for the winter from the northern states the monarchs often mass together and land at certain 'watering holes' so to speak--usually stands of trees or forest edges often near rivers and/or fields of nectar blooms--alfalfa, wild flowers, milkweed, etc.--some think they do this to wait out storms or catch the wind going in the south westerly directions. Apparently it's all timed by the angle of the sun's rays and the weather but is pretty much the same every year..
These massings (from 100 monarchs to a hundred thousand) are especially obvious in the great plains, but occur elsewhere with regularity too. (Even near Jeffersonville, Indiana lily, so you don't have to move!).
I ordered two books on Monarch migration from the library -- it's pretty fascinating and the experts don't seem to know a lot about it -- or agree, anyway. That is why they set up the 'Journey North' and 'Monarch Watch' sites--to get ordinary people to report on what they see so they can make some sense out of it, I guess. Just in the couple years I have been reading the two sites they have expanded the info and made lots of progress.
It should be fun to watch and report this fall.
oh, so since I live in well populated suburbia, I guess there is little change I'll be seeing the wonderful massings, like I've seen in magazines. huh? oh well, I would settle for seeing 5-6 together. See? I'm not that picky, lol
on a separate subject, I wonder if there is a schedule like the one you posted here but for hummingbirds
yes there is Vossner on one of the hummer sites
So I shouldn't fed ex my MW? You could give it a try. Texas is definitely a big 'pass through' state and it wouldn't hurt to be on the lookout in your neighborhood parks and green spaces if you don't have many trees on your property...Do you get monarchs in your gardens now?
About the HBs--not as much 'data' but some rough estimates....
http://www.hummingbirdworld.com/h/migrate.htm#by-state
http://www.hummingbirds.net/migration.html
And this site by a HB lover in Houston might be useful-- http://www.donaldburger.com/hbdates.htm
This message was edited Aug 3, 2006 8:24 AM
Thanks Miss T. No don't send MW, too hot now plus eliminates my excuse to go plant shopping. I do get monarchs and others but I really began to notice them after I planted my buddleias. I have other things planted but somehow there seemed to be more of them when I added budleia.
I have a couple of buddies that go to Mexico in March for the migration back north and it is fun to hear them talk about it.
Vossner check Lowes if you have one there. Last year they were 14 dollars a pot this year they are 6 dollars a pot with 3 huge plants in each gallon. I just grabed more myself not that we get that many Monarch but when the few we get they lay eggs like crazy
Hi, All--
Was just thinking about the 2007 Monarch Migration and wondered if everyone had the milkweed/buddleia/zinnias/whatever ready?!
And if whether you expect monarchs to come through your territory this September/October? (Are you on one of the Monarch flyways?)
My monarch count seems to be way down--I wonder if that is because of our heat and drought conditions this summer?.... but our high count isn't supposed to be until mid-september according to the charts in the links above....
Vossner, you will see monarch going through in an almost steady stream (not close together), but literally constant. In my working days, from my 33rd floor office downtown, I saw monarchs going by daily at that elevation.
The do stop and nectar, but don't ever think they don't also lay eggs. We have laid in a supply of milkweeds and still won't have enough. We have even had new monarchs handcarried to Mexico, when they emerged after all flowering plants were dead. One year we had one emerge and were worried which direction it would head. The folks at the Cockrell Butterfly Center advised us (get this) "they will fly in the direction the adult was flying when it stopped to lay its eggs".
The other side of the coin is that we have been so long without a hard freeze there is now a resident monarch population that does not migrate. We will have monarchs year round in good weather. In the past we participated in the monarch tagging program but all of our monarchs never left the area. They were recovered within the general Houston metroplex.
You are a little late to start plants from cuttings or from seeds, for the migration back to Mexico. But, you should start now to get prepared for their return next Spring (mid-April, as I remember).
Rod
Vossner, I forgot to mention - the hummers are already here. Saw two Monday and one early this morning. They are hungry. BTW, Another Place in Time and Buchanans, on 11th, in the Heights, are good places for all butterfly and hummer needs. The both specialize in local area plants and generally can be relied upon not to use pesticides. Buchanans even has a box of herbs set out with a note - look for the future butterflies. Another Place in Time raises a large amount of their stock by hand - not shipped in from growers. And, if you can wiggle your way in, TreeSearch Farms may let you buy a large stock of milkweek at wholesale prices. The are located in the general vicinity of Innwood Forest.
Rod
I am as ready as I can be Tabasco. I don't expect them until around mid October. Hopefully my milkweed will have grown some more by then. I have three blooming plants and several plants I got from Live Monarch growing in pots for food in case they decide to lay any eggs. As I have mentioned before this is a pretty hot zone for the migration and I have always enjoyed it but this will be the first year I really participate in it by having something for them to stop over and drink or eat. So this will be very exciting and I am getting quite psyched about it. Sadly there is no more milkweed at any nurseries here but I may end up buying some more plants from Live Monarch. I know they will not be big enough to bloom by then though. It is going to be a sight to see. Now I am going up to check on those links to see exactly when to expect them.
Leslie