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.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

A few more monarchs arrive

Friday was another beautiful day in Cape May, with great migratory conditions keeping the birders happy.  We saw a small increase in monarchs around Cape May Point, but not a major migratory event.  Nonetheless, should you be in Cape May this weekend it won't be hard to find monarchs, and we'll have some to tag at our last two tagging demos of the season, which will be at 2 pm on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 13 and 14, at the East Picnic Shelter in Cape May Point State Park.  Please come join us!

Dick Walton, Director and Founder of the Cape May Monarch Monitoring
Project, with a group of about 100 at Wednesday's tagging demo.

We enjoyed a long visit on Friday from Lauren Wanko, Correspondent for the NJ Today television program aired weeknights at 6 on NJTV, New Jersey's public television network.  Lauren spent nearly 5 hours in Cape May Point with our team and we can't wait to see her feature on our project.  It is tentatively set to air Monday evening, Oct. 15.  We'll update you with more information when the broadcast time is confirmed.

Julia Druce tags a monarch for the camera.  Correspondent Lauren Wanko
was one of the best prepared media visitors we have ever hosted, arriving
with a great understanding of our project and asking us thoughtful questions.




2 comments:

  1. I live in northern Ocean County, Midway Beach, South Seaside Park. This year the Monarchs have not arrived in numbers that I have become used to. The goldenrod is in bloom and moving past it's peak. The flower ends are beginning to brown. In years past, the peak was near the beginning of October. Now we are almost into the third week of October and there have been very few monarchs. I have been awaiting their deluge but it has not been seen up here.

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  2. Don't know about the migration up your way, but here in Cape May the bulk of monarchs migrated earlier than usual, most passing through our area before the seaside goldenrod began to bloom. Every season is different, and perhaps the winds were not right this year to bring them to your location, but here in Cape May we have enjoyed an above average year for monarch migration, it's just that most came in September instead of October. Keep watching and let us know if you see a big group of migrants, we'll know to watch for them down here a few hours later.

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