Monarch Monitoring Project: Week 2

So I am a little behind in my updates…we already have completed week 2 and 3, but one week update at a time, to not overwhelm you. Week 2 of the Monarch Monitoring Project has been off the charts. Overall, we counted 145.76 Monarchs/hour! The previous week 2 census data from ALL years averaged 34.02 Monarchs/hour. You can check out census data at:

http://www.monarchmonitoringproject.com/mmptwo.html

The week started out slow but then BOOM, mid-week, we had Monarchs everywhere. Monarchs crossing the roads, crossing the beaches, crossing the dunes. Naturalists reported Monarchs in the thousands at the state park. Reports trickled in that Monarchs were roosting in cedar trees in Cape May Point. And reflecting all these reports and sightings, Team Monarch has thus far, after only two weeks of the season, tagged……(drum roll please) over 1800 Monarchs! Wowsers. That is a huge number. And has required the ordering of 3,000 more tags in preparation for what could be an amazing Monarch year.



Not familiar with tagging? This year we are using Monarch Watch tags. Monarch Watch is a University of Kansas based program that studies the Monarch migration, incorporating outreach and education. The tag is essentially a tiny sticker, about the size of a pencil eraser. It has a unique tag ID number and a phone number and e-mail address to contact when you want to report a tagged Monarch sighting or find. When we capture a Monarch, we measure the wing length, record the sex of the Monarch, check the abdomen for lipids essential for the migration, and then stick a little tag on its wing! Then with a little luck, we let it go.

Why do we tag the Monarchs? Well, originally Monarchs were tagged to determine where they overwinter. We now know that Monarchs spend the winters in the Oyamel fir trees of Michoacan, Mexico. But tagging is still important to determine the route that Monarchs travel from the far North areas like Canada and Maine to arrive in Mexico. The arrival of the Monarchs in Mexico coincides with the Day of the Dead, a holiday honoring family and ancestors in Mexico. Monarchs are believed to be the spirits of the ancestors returning on the Day of the Dead. But I digress. Tagging helps us determine how long it takes for Monarchs to travel from Cape May, NJ to Mexico and where our Monarchs stop to nectar and store lipids for the long winter in Mexico.

Monarchs are not the only butterflies out and about this season. Buckeyes are everywhere! An epic year for Buckeyes in Cape May. Several days, it was possible to see flowers dripping with Buckeyes, interspersed with several Monarchs.


So get out there and enjoy all those butterflies!