The Monarch Monitoring Project is a long-term study on monarch migration through Cape May, NJ. It is a part of the New Jersey Audubon Research Department, and closely affiliated with the Cape May Bird Observatory.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

It Came From Canada!

In our last blog post we showed the photo, below, of monarch WAT 878, which our team netted at the Triangle Park in Cape May Point on Sept. 18.  We were thrilled to learn that this butterfly had been tagged in Canada!  We posted this photo on our FaceBook page and it was shared 53 times, and eventually seen by Kathy White, who posted this comment:

"I know that monarch! WAT 878 started his journey on August 15, 2016 from latitude 46.009184 longitude -66.832795 (Mouth of Keswick, NB, Canada), Waystation #6458. He was released along with 32 other monarchs who eclosed on the same day. Thanks Social Media."

So this monarch took its time, taking just over a month to reach here from a spot roughly 1030 kilometers (or 640 miles) away.

All of us who tag monarchs wonder if any that we tag will be found at some other place, some other time.  It's a bit like the proverbial message in a bottle.  Whenever one of ours is found, or when we find one from somewhere else, it's exciting and fulfilling.  Migrate on little butterfly, perhaps you'll be seen again in Mexico or somewhere else along the route.


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