In keeping some track of autumn's southbound (and to rather lesser
extent, northbound in the spring) migrations of Monarchs, it is
increasingly useful to follow the reports from avian raptor-watching
sites -particularly in the eastern half of this continent- in the
places where North American migrant Monarchs may be seen [i.e. almost
anywhere on the continent, to the extent that they can be found in a
whole lot of territory] - and many of these raptor watching sites are,
more & more keeping track, sometimes fairly close track, of Monarchs
seen in migratory flight as their migration timing parallels in a nice
way that of the hawks', other avian raptors', as well as vultures'
migrations. There are possibly as many raptor-watching sites keeping
daily counts / estimates of the Monarchs as through any other regular
means on a geographic scale, for the primary migratory season, and
especially in months of September and October, into November in many
instances, with some such sites active also in parts or even all of
August and December.
The Monarch numbers noted below, from several established avian /
migratory watch sites, are only partial indicators of this season's
recent southbound passage. It can again be emphasized that a 'strong'
year for Monarchs could easily provide numbers ten, twenty, and more
times greater, than those being reported this year. There have also
been previous years when the overall numbers of Monarchs seen, in
migration and in breeding season, were a bit low and may have caused
concerns. Concerns do seem higher than previously, through this year,
some reasons for that concern well-elaborated by others on the list,
and in the link previously provided to an interview with Chip Taylor
of MonarchWatch.
And so, for just one of (potentially!) many other examples in
regularly-reported & tallied-each-day sightings, there were a flight
of 250+ Monarchs reported for the day on Oct. 9, '13 and a flight of
230+ Monarchs Oct. 10, '13 at the Detroit River (MI) hawk watch site -
as well as numbers not estimated, but said to be "abundant" at that
same site on Oct. 8, '13.
On Oct.11, '13, with southerly wind, 40 Monarchs were still
noted. By Oct. 16, '13 the Monarch count had dropped to just 6,
suggesting that the peak flight was past. And snow was seen just a few
days later in that area! This is of course a very different flight
pathway from the east coast, and these Monarchs are coming out of some
of e.-central Canada. (NB, thanks to Jonathan Stein, official counter
at the DR watch site, and all who count Monarchs as they head south
along with the raptors, for the info.)
I also list some of the records from the Fire Island, NY (outer
barrier beach along the Atlantic ocean shore in Suffolk Co.) hawk
watch, for those days when counters took note (some days may have had
Monarch movements that were not recorded in the watch entry):
9/16/'13: ~ 75 Monarchs; 9/17/'13: 15 Monarchs; 9/18/'13: 8
Monarchs; 9/24/'13: 15 Monarchs; 9/25/'13: 37 Monarchs; 9/30/'13:
11 Monarchs; 10/2/'13: 25 Monarchs; 10/7/'13: 9 Monarchs; 10/9/'13:
4 Monarchs... and again it can be emphasized that not all of the days
when Monarchs were seen had them recorded in the hawk watch database,
and certainly: the Monarchs flew on many additional days. (NB, for
data supplied, thanks to Trudy Battaly, Drew Panko, & all the many
others observers who kept count at that watch.)
At a watch-site just west of Harrisburg, PA: Waggoner's Gap, the
Monarch flight had been fairly steady, averaged over the 8 weeks of
Sept. into Oct., averaging about a dozen per day - and a few days of
25+ counted; on some days: just one. (This watch-site is thoroughly
monitored in autumn; D. Grove, R. Freed, K. Gingrich, & many others
recorded data.)
These are among some of many locations where Monarch migration was
noted this fall of 2013, & while they (these numbers) are likely well
below many a "better" year's potential daily numbers of this species,
it is yet a nice indicator that there were some number of these
migratory insects on the move, and with a little luck, at least modest
numbers will reach the Mexican wintering grounds in the hills not so
very far from Mexico City. The migratory Monarch flight may well
continue some weeks longer in some areas in the east &/or s.-central
portions of the U.S., more so in the s. states. It is not unheard of
(in some years) to have migratory Monarchs sighted into December at
some locations well north of the southern U.S. - although that is not
too often seen in NY state - even at the shore on Long Island or N.Y.
City where end-of-autumn temperatures can be moderated by the
immediate proximity of the ocean. This is also looking like a decent
year for blooming of late-flowering Seaside Goldenrod, in the places
where that plant has remained; a good later-season nectar source.
There are at least a few other flowering plants (both native and non-
native) that can provide nectar sources for Monarchs as well as many
other butterflies & insects as late fall comes along and continues. A
point being offered that there is at least some bit of hope with this
year's Monarch movement (however paltry-seeming in comparison to many
better years' migrations.) while the obvious converse is that the
numbers are low and there is some legitimate concern; what happens in
the next year will provide more insight as to whether the N. American
migratory Monarchs' situation worsens or brightens. If you have a
place to do so, plant or seed in some milkweed, and see what lands on
it in coming years.
Tom Fiore,
Manhattan
--
NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm
ARCHIVES:
1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html
2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L
3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html
Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/
--
