Monarch Butterfly Migration Pixs

[packman]

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The Monarch migration usually starts around October each year, but can start earlier if the weather turns cold sooner. They travel between 1,200 and 2,800 miles or more from Canada to central Mexican forests where the climate is warm. If the monarch lives in the Eastern states, usually east of the Rocky Mountains, it will migrate to Mexico and hibernate in oyamel fir trees. If the monarch butterfly lives west of the Rocky Mountains, it will hibernate in and around Pacific Grove, California in eucalyptus trees. Monarch butterflies use the very same trees each and every year when they migrate, which seems odd because they aren’t the same butterflies that were there last year

....Unfortunately, the Monarchs’ overwintering sites are under threat because of massive deforestation. This year, the number of monarch butterflies that completed the migration to the Mexican forest dropped to its lowest level in at least two decades, due mostly to extreme weather and rapid expansion of farmland. Because the insects cannot be counted, the combined size of the butterfly colonies is used as a proxy in the census. The area of forest occupied by the butterflies, once as high at 50 acres, dwindled to 2.94 acres in the annual census conducted in December 2012.

More pixs and article:

https://www.amusingplanet.com/2013/04/monarch-butterfly-migration.html

[Floyd R. Turbo]

1. Stunning! 🦋

[abqtommy]

2. I saw a monarch migration to the south some years ago in S. Dakota.

That was a great experience.

[LeftInTX]

3. I have some that overwinter in my yard

Unfortunately, I only notice them if there is a bad freeze.

[Karadeniz]

4. Thank you...they're amazing!❤

[Brother Buzz]

5. In California, times have been better

We saw an 86% decline of California’s Monarch population in 2018 from the previous year, and this is on top of a 97% decline in the total population since the 1980’s.

I grew up with a Monarch grove a mile away from my childhood home and have fond memories visiting them, but they disappeared decades ago. I truly hope I'm wrong, but I really, really believe it's the end of the road for the majestic Monarch migration California.

[AllaN01Bear]

6. lovely . my fam and i are going to see them in monterey ca in the spring . thanks for pix.:)

[JeaneRaye]

7. Flight Behavior

Read a really good book about the Monarch migration and global warming. It was fiction but it was very good. Recommended: Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver.

[LuckyLib]

9. I just scrolled down to add this info. Thank you. It's a

wonderful book — great story and a good way to learn about monarchs in a way we can all understand.

[LAS14]

8. We were thrilled when all 5 chrysalises that our granddaughters found turned into MONARCHS!!!! NT

[susanr516]

10. We haven't seen any monarchs in several months

I'm in Corpus Christi, where we frequently see lots of monarchs in the spring and fall. We haven't seen a single butterfly since spring. We plant tropical milkweed in our yard and other butterfly and bee friendly flowers. Every other year, our milkweeds would be nothing but stalks left. This year, nothing. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they're just a little late this year, but I'm worried. The hummingbirds showed up right on schedule, but no butterflies.