tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36365937502842039612024-03-13T16:55:09.693-04:00Cape May Monarch Monitoring ProjectMigrating monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) have been studied every autumn in Cape May, New Jersey, USA, since 1991. This blog is most active during September and October, when regular updates of the migratory season are posted.Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.comBlogger346125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-84679861385740533642021-10-25T21:19:00.000-04:002021-10-25T21:19:13.306-04:00Big flight on October 22 Our blog has moved to a new location: https://njaudubon.org/category/monarch-monitoring/
For those of you who still connect to this page however, here is a blog post for October 24, 2021:
A Second Influx
by Kyra Madunich
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Cape May Point turned into a swirling snow globe of monarchs on October 22nd. For nearly three hours, a steady stream of thousands of monarch butterflies headed west along the dunes on Cape May Point. Monarch numbers had built up over the course of a few days prior to the big flight, congregating at various roost sites on the point.
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When monarchs arrive to the tip of the Cape May Peninsula and realize they must cross water to continue their journey south, they often opt to stay put, bask in some sunlight, and fuel up on nectar from flowers until a day with the right weather conditions makes the journey a bit easier. Thanks to the protected native habitat along Cape May Point’s dunes and the wonderful residents who keep butterfly gardens with fall flowering plants, these monarchs have a good supply of nectar during their stay. However, we did not expect the massive influx of new monarchs that came in from the north and which swept through on the 22nd, joining those already on Cape May Point to form one of the largest flights of recent years. It was a spectacular sight to behold.
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We look forward to seeing what monarch numbers will be like in the coming weeks, though we’ve seen much lower numbers these past few days and it is likely that most have already passed through. Though we are sad to see them go, we know that the monarchs still have over 2,000 miles left on their journey to their overwintering sites in Mexico. We wish them luck, and we are excited at the prospect of our friends to the south reporting monarchs tagged on our project! If you see a monarch, remember to check their hind wings for a small, circular adhesive sticker. Each tag has a unique 4-letter, 3-number code. If you happen to see a monarch with a tag, the easiest way to read the code on the tag is to try to snap a photo and zoom in on the butterfly’s wing. Then report the code online at mwtag.org. Our fastest monarch ever recorded flew 558 miles from Cape May Point to Georgia in just 3 days, and we are proud to say that we’ve now also had nearly 100 tagged recoveries in Mexico.
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If you don’t already, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @capemaymonarchs, and we will keep you posted on all things monarch as much as we can.
Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-31095284515215967582021-09-22T22:04:00.004-04:002021-09-22T22:04:54.288-04:00A Cold Front is Coming! Our blog has moved to a new location: https://njaudubon.org/category/monarch-monitoring/
For those of you who still connect to this page however, here is a blog post for Sept. 23, 2021:
A vital element to the Cape May Monarch Monitoring Project is our road census, which gives us a method to compare the numbers of monarchs around the Cape from week to week and from year to year. A member of our team drives a designated 5 mile route 3 times daily at a slow speed, counting every monarch seen along the way. Our first three weeks of census are complete, and the numbers verify our hunch that the monarch numbers have been a bit below average up to this point of the season.
This isn’t really a surprise, since we’ve had a lot of warm weather and winds from the south or from the east. Monarchs usually migrate when the winds are blowing from the north, and a westerly component to the wind often brings more monarchs toward the coast, and then down into Cape May Point. In recent years we’ve had a lot of unfavorable winds during the first half of September, and it’s been a while since we have seen many monarchs on those days.
This might be about to change. A big cold front is predicted to arrive on Thursday, bringing a lot of rain, but clearly out on Friday, the first of four consecutive days when northwest winds are predicted. These are the conditions that frequently bring big numbers of monarchs into Cape May. Can we guarantee lots of monarchs during the next few days? Of course not, nature isn’t ever fully predictable, but we’re hopeful, and I can guarantee that our team will be out in the field, ready to count, study, tag, and teach about monarchs, however many there may be.
Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-74651589883893422512021-09-20T22:05:00.003-04:002021-09-20T22:05:21.193-04:00<p> <span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px;"> Our blog has moved to a new location: </span><a href="https://njaudubon.org/category/monarch-monitoring/" style="color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.199999809265137px; text-decoration: none;">https://njaudubon.org/category/monarch-monitoring/</a></p><p>For those of you who still connect to this page however, here is a blog post for Sept. 20, 2021: </p><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">We are nearly three weeks into the field season for the Monarch Monitoring Project, and on Sunday (Sept. 19) we started to see the season’s first major influx of monarchs into Cape May Point. We also conducted our first three tagging demos on Friday through Sunday, with good attendance each day.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u5fLpOkM8R8/YUk8gx-LhlI/AAAAAAAACrA/XQt6muvsn_ghWURXdV-jD0RgBq_R-tKqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Kyra.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1607" data-original-width="2048" height="314" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u5fLpOkM8R8/YUk8gx-LhlI/AAAAAAAACrA/XQt6muvsn_ghWURXdV-jD0RgBq_R-tKqgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h314/Kyra.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Seasonal Field Naturalist Kyra Madunich at a tagging demo</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Tagging demos will continue each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through October 10, each held at 2:00 pm under the east picnic shelter at Cape May Point State Park. No reservations are required, and no fee is charged, though contributions to support our program are accepted. During the following weekend, Oct. 15 – 17, we will have demos at noon at the Cape May Convention Hall as part of the New Jersey Audubon Cape May Fall Festival, details on our website: njaudubon.org. We’ll then have one more weekend with tagging demos, Oct. 22 – 24, when due to the shortening day length our demos switch to 1:00 pm.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bab0waEzVPI/YUk8-43tLaI/AAAAAAAACrQ/qS5aoYeu98Y7gHcl5oc2pE4dh25Di96bwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Madison.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bab0waEzVPI/YUk8-43tLaI/AAAAAAAACrQ/qS5aoYeu98Y7gHcl5oc2pE4dh25Di96bwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/Madison.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Field Naturalist Madison Null teaches at the demo</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">You can meet one of our researchers on Mondays through Thursdays as well, from now until October 21, by meeting at Cape May Point’s Triangle Park at 11:00 am. These are not formal projects, just opportunities to meet a member of our team and learn a bit about our work. Our researcher may be working on garden maintenance, perhaps tagging monarchs, or otherwise working on one of the many tasks involved with our project. One thing for sure – they’ll be happy to answer your questions about monarch biology and about the work we conduct.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-er1M4Ykx0zU/YUk9Xgc5-HI/AAAAAAAACrY/lwZdBZm156oPJVsTHzayYsdmBCXre4pkwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Louise.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-er1M4Ykx0zU/YUk9Xgc5-HI/AAAAAAAACrY/lwZdBZm156oPJVsTHzayYsdmBCXre4pkwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/Louise.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Field Coordinator Louise Zemaitis shows visitors how to tag a monarch</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Will Sunday’s influx of monarchs into Cape May Point continue through the week? We wish we knew, but unfortunately there’s no way to predict. One thing for sure: there will be at least a few monarchs here every day until late October, and maybe even early November. On some days there will be lots and lots, we just don’t know which days that will happen. So come often, enjoy everything that Cape May has to offer, and keep your fingers crossed, hoping to catch a day when monarchs seem to be absolutely everywhere.<o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sXlNE5DLkcM/YUk9o9LPw4I/AAAAAAAACrg/jwhZPIquG2g541apNhtGRS6N6lCPREuIQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Young%2Bvisitor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sXlNE5DLkcM/YUk9o9LPw4I/AAAAAAAACrg/jwhZPIquG2g541apNhtGRS6N6lCPREuIQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/Young%2Bvisitor.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">A young visitor delights in a tagged and released monarch</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-53504069024093335232021-09-01T08:14:00.001-04:002021-09-01T08:14:20.432-04:00We have moved!<p> Our blog has moved to a new location: <a href="https://njaudubon.org/category/monarch-monitoring/">https://njaudubon.org/category/monarch-monitoring/</a></p>Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-73265145334246515732020-12-06T15:33:00.005-05:002020-12-14T15:19:09.247-05:00Silent Auction for Handmade Monarch Quilt<p><span style="color: red;"><b>UPDATE: Current high bid is $450.</b></span></p><p>SILENT AUCTION! This handmade quilt with a monarch butterfly motif has been donated to the Monarch Monitoring Project to help raise funds for our project. The artist is Dale Watson, an accomplished quilt maker and volunteer with our Project. The quilt, which measures 64 x 76 inches, will go to the highest bidder on Tuesday, December 15, as of 2:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time. We will promptly ship the quilt as soon as the donation is received (or we can deliver personally if the high bidder is in Cape May County). Opening bid is $100. Place your bid via a private message on our Facebook page, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CMMonarchs">https://www.facebook.com/CMMonarchs</a>, (preferred), or via e-mail to monarchs@njaudubon.org. Send us the amount of your bid, along with your name, e-mail address and phone number. We will post updates on the bidding here on our blog and on the Facebook page. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ooNQOI2MjOU/X808WLfvrEI/AAAAAAAAClg/gLw1ra7uUTsH_m_fNwGRvfHbLP2MiaSfACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/123198264_3475746562471081_493559059363086895_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ooNQOI2MjOU/X808WLfvrEI/AAAAAAAAClg/gLw1ra7uUTsH_m_fNwGRvfHbLP2MiaSfACLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/123198264_3475746562471081_493559059363086895_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Here's the quilt, measuring 64x76 inches</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1oVAeazGfus/X809JMt8k5I/AAAAAAAACl4/hrrO62St2qQcucV_0X-VKIoD9HTGmiGCgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/123165447_3475746695804401_7786373399570870999_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1oVAeazGfus/X809JMt8k5I/AAAAAAAACl4/hrrO62St2qQcucV_0X-VKIoD9HTGmiGCgCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/123165447_3475746695804401_7786373399570870999_o.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Detail view</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Like many others, our project has fallen short of our fundraising goals this year, primarily because we were unable to offer our usual public programs. Our primary expenses are the salaries of the two young naturalists we hire for our fall field season each year, along with tags and field equipment. If you don't win the auction but still wish to contribute, send a check payable to NJ Audubon with "Monarch Project 024" on the memo line, to CMBO-CRE, 600 N Delsea Drive, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210. Thanks to all who support our work!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n2vY0BmrXyA/X80-lPMudZI/AAAAAAAACmM/MON4YIqnXeUCik30oL8sMVrX_j76KvY7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/MG101131.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1469" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n2vY0BmrXyA/X80-lPMudZI/AAAAAAAACmM/MON4YIqnXeUCik30oL8sMVrX_j76KvY7ACLcBGAsYHQ/w288-h400/MG101131.JPG" width="288" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Quilt artist Dale Watson visiting the<br />Cerro Pelon Sanctuary in Mexico, 2018.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Please share with other monarch enthusiasts!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cvSfgzb0L-A/X80__BnDBII/AAAAAAAACmY/4uDoaskPtdkk5KDmu45Ptgq0uBl75cvSQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_4486.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cvSfgzb0L-A/X80__BnDBII/AAAAAAAACmY/4uDoaskPtdkk5KDmu45Ptgq0uBl75cvSQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_4486.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-89047428303185664262020-11-08T21:25:00.003-05:002020-11-09T07:13:27.072-05:00November Monarchs<p><span> </span>Our field season runs from September 1 to October 31, and in some years we see very few monarchs after about October 20. Big numbers of migrating monarchs arrive to the winter colony sites right around the beginning of November. Since those colonies are 2000 miles away from Cape May, it makes sense that most monarchs should have passed through this area weeks earlier. Early last week we saw a few days with cold, windy, and rainy weather, with reports of freezing temperatures and snow from northern New Jersey right up through all of New England. Monarchs don't survive prolonged freezes, so we figured the migration was over. For the last several years we have continued to conduct our census into November as a test. We decided to do that again this year, but when there were no monarchs to be seen during the cold weather -- for a couple of days the census counts were all zero -- we figured our season was truly finished.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MJ4ZEnhZ1Nw/X6if3xk1C2I/AAAAAAAACkc/b9bzfIENPsEDnXPvOIE3hEiaXonVAa_2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/CMB00499.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MJ4ZEnhZ1Nw/X6if3xk1C2I/AAAAAAAACkc/b9bzfIENPsEDnXPvOIE3hEiaXonVAa_2wCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/CMB00499.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Monarch on lantana in Cape May Point, 11/6/20</i></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span> </span>Then the weather changed, and suddenly we came into a spell of warm, sunny days. And monarchs were back! At first it was just a few, but numbers quickly grew. It's nothing like the big numbers of early October, but it's still a surprise. Our seasonal naturalists finished their work at the end of October, but we still have volunteers in town, and collectively we have tagged more than 200 monarchs over the last three days.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HWo_3n1a5UI/X6ihL6pKluI/AAAAAAAACko/0LBdma2ZjlouqHwYBuig0I1Lo5ZUPy4zQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_4342.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HWo_3n1a5UI/X6ihL6pKluI/AAAAAAAACko/0LBdma2ZjlouqHwYBuig0I1Lo5ZUPy4zQCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/IMG_4342.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Monarch tagged at Cape May Point 11/8/20</span></i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><span> </span>Unfortunately there's not a lot of nectar available for these late monarchs. We're seeing virtually all of them in the few gardens that still have flowers in bloom -- Mexican sunflower, zinnia, lantata, and Vitex are still blooming in several gardens. There's also a bit of the seaside goldenrod in bloom out on the upper beach. But most places have no flowers left. Many of the monarchs being tagged have little or no fat reserves, and fat provides the fuel for migration. Will they find enough food to tank up for the next part of their journeys? Will they find enough nectar as they go south from here to sustain them on their long travels? Can they avoid freezing temperatures and make it all the way to Mexico? We really don't know, and we assume that the odds are against the November monarchs, but we continue to actively tag, in hopes that some will be found further south and will provide hints, at least, to the answers to these questions. We will be astounded (and delighted) if one of these November monarchs makes it to Mexico and the tag is seen by one of the observers there.<br /><p><span> We're also curious about where these November monarchs have come from. Some that we are seeing are worn or even tattered, suggesting they've been around since before the early November storms, and they might not be fit enough to even try to migrate away from Cape May. We are also seeing some that are pristine, looking very fresh. We know that there are late caterpillars each year, and we suspect that as long as the weather permits, there will be newly emerged monarchs entering the population. We know that they can't have come from terribly far north of here, for the freezes of early November in much of the northeast would have been fatal to any remaining monarchs, whether they were still caterpillars or if they had metamorphosed into the chrysalis or adult stages. So it's our guess that our November monarchs began their lives in southern New Jersey or southeastern Pennsylvania.</span></p><p><span> </span>As long as the monarchs are still here, we will continue to conduct our censuses and we will keep tagging some of the monarchs that are in Cape May Point. When we are tagging, we often attract curious onlookers, which gives us the chance for an impromptu lesson into monarch biology and conservation. If you're in Cape May Point while our warm November weather continues, and if you see one of us out there with a butterfly net, don't hesitate to ask about our work, we're always eager to talk about monarchs.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R2bNEH1TBN0/X6ilOvWZ0oI/AAAAAAAACk0/d9tSKYwMt-Q53u56rQY7i2VPTHd5dBjmACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_4352.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R2bNEH1TBN0/X6ilOvWZ0oI/AAAAAAAACk0/d9tSKYwMt-Q53u56rQY7i2VPTHd5dBjmACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/IMG_4352.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Project Director Mark Garland gives an impromptu lesson about monarchs, 11/8/20</i></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><span> A reminder: if you see a tagged monarch, make an effort to read the 4-letter, 3-number code on the tag -- the easiest way to do this is often to take a digital photo and then enlarge it on a computer until you can read the code. Then go online to the website printed on the tag, mwtag.org, and add the requested data. Watch the monarchwatch.org website in the coming months, for once all the data is assembled they'll report on all tagged monarchs that are subsequently found and reported.</span></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m920E1Fmnhk/X6iluove4VI/AAAAAAAACk8/pUqGl7bfBWIUQ0LSNPsZS5u0DscI7DQ0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_4353.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1590" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m920E1Fmnhk/X6iluove4VI/AAAAAAAACk8/pUqGl7bfBWIUQ0LSNPsZS5u0DscI7DQ0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_4353.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Releasing a newly tagged monarch, 11/8/20</i></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span> </span>We have started to compile the season's tagging data, but our annual summary will have to wait until we are truly finished with tagging for the year. Rain is expected to come later this week, but it's predicted to stay relatively warm, so perhaps we'll keep seeing (and tagging) monarchs for another week or more. When we finally finish, we'll report back on the total number tagged by our team in 2020.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-11106305097894096512020-11-05T22:18:00.000-05:002020-11-05T22:18:22.710-05:00Results of 2020 Census<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0XXLAz4PnDk/X6S0ZkoDFYI/AAAAAAAACjs/RFNZEASYQ9Ys1ZzpjVseyxR8Mrlka__LQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/CMB09801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2034" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0XXLAz4PnDk/X6S0ZkoDFYI/AAAAAAAACjs/RFNZEASYQ9Ys1ZzpjVseyxR8Mrlka__LQCLcBGAsYHQ/w398-h400/CMB09801.JPG" width="398" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Monarch nectaring on seaside goldenrod, Cape May Point</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span> </span>Perhaps the most important parts of the Cape May Monarch Monitoring Project is the census that we conduct. Our census is modification of a technique known as a "Pollard Transect," whereby a specified route is traveled on a regular basis and butterflies counted by the observer while traveling. Our census is conducted daily from September 1 to October 31, and consists of a slow drive along a 5-mile route that leads from the west end of New England Road to Alexander Avenue in Cape May Point. One observer drives at roughly 20 miles per hour and counts all of the monarchs observed along the route. The census is conduct three times a day from September 1 to October 15, and then twice a day from October 16 to 31. The number of monarchs seen along the route and the time of travel are recorded and then calculated to monarchs observed per hour. These data are used to compare one year to another. This census has been faithfully conducted every year since 1992, giving us 29 years of data. Our data are summarized on a weekly and annual basis in this chart: </p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K_-ZqgqO6nk/X6S27yfoo5I/AAAAAAAACj4/AbxzRdrt8h4gl5iQnOBm3Uv8y_M1tZrDQCLcBGAsYHQ/s781/Image%2B11-5-20%2Bat%2B9.25%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="781" height="374" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K_-ZqgqO6nk/X6S27yfoo5I/AAAAAAAACj4/AbxzRdrt8h4gl5iQnOBm3Uv8y_M1tZrDQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h374/Image%2B11-5-20%2Bat%2B9.25%2BPM.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span> </span>So how did 2020 compare to other years? It was a good year of migration, with the 13th highest yearly average of monarchs observed per hour, 62.4, slightly above the median. Putting it another way, 12 years have had a higher average but 16 have had lower. There are many variables that affect the census numbers from year to year, but two seem to be most significant. One is rather obvious: when the monarch population is high, we can expect to see more monarchs in Cape May. The other significant variable is weather, with wind direction being the most significant. A westerly component to the winds is likely to cause many monarchs to drift eastward, and if they end up on the east side of Delaware Bay, their preference to stay over land as long as possible will funnel them into Cape May. Conversely, when the wind is blowing from the east, many monarchs coming from the north are likely to end up on the west side of Delaware Bay, bypassing Cape May altogether. The same situation has been observed and is well documented with migratory birds, which are seen in the greatest numbers during the southbound migration when winds are from the west or northwest. We saw favorable winds more frequently this fall than in many recent years.<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWxH7oLGtsk/X6S50r20sUI/AAAAAAAACkE/OT5g707AYLMZkB8JjFyi5qRrUyaE7apZACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/CMB09286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWxH7oLGtsk/X6S50r20sUI/AAAAAAAACkE/OT5g707AYLMZkB8JjFyi5qRrUyaE7apZACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/CMB09286.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Small roost of monarchs at Cape May Pt. State Park, Oct. 5, 2020<br /></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><span> </span>Large average monarchs/hour totals for weeks 6 and 7 correspond to a 2-week period during the first half of October when monarchs were plentiful around Cape May. It's quite unusual for Cape May to have consistently high numbers for two solid weeks, usually our peak numbers occur for just a few days at a time, though often we will see several peaks during the two-month migratory period. Even though travel is severely limited this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and our education program was severely curtailed as we insisted on compliance with all pandemic precautions, we were able to help many local residents see and appreciate monarch migration during this period, and many more enjoyed the abundance vicariously through our social media posts.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7fQLoTBC3Pw/X6S8TfRlJxI/AAAAAAAACkQ/ti6-LTJRszI9WF6ZpSCLYSKofLZGrpqdgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/CMB09569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7fQLoTBC3Pw/X6S8TfRlJxI/AAAAAAAACkQ/ti6-LTJRszI9WF6ZpSCLYSKofLZGrpqdgCLcBGAsYHQ/w480-h640/CMB09569.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Monarchs roosting in ivy at Cape May Point, October 11, 2020</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><span> </span>When you look at our 29 years of census data, it's noteworthy that while the numbers have some dramatic fluctuations (our highest yearly total is more than 40 times higher than our lowest year), the overall trend seems generally stable. Some biologists have looked at our data and argued that it indicates that monarch populations are in good shape. We are very reluctant to jump to that conclusion. Monarchs funneled through Cape May are a very small percentage of the numbers found all across the continent. Censuses at the wintering areas in Mexico show dramatic declines in monarch numbers. If monarchs in Cape May are doing okay for some reason, it certainly doesn't imply that monarchs everywhere are equally well.</div><div><br /><div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-83955699612378607152020-11-01T21:32:00.000-05:002020-11-01T21:32:23.677-05:00End of Field Season<p>The 2020 Field Season for the Monarch Monitoring Project wrapped up on Saturday, October 31 -- our field season runs from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31 each year. We have started to compile the data and will report back to our followers in a few days, but we'll take a few minutes now to reflect on the season. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted virtually everything in all of our lives for most of the year, and that was true for our project as well. Well into the summer it wasn't clear if we could run the project at all, or if we could hire seasonal naturalists. Fortunately we found ways to take all of the appropriate precautions and continue to gather data and to hire two naturalists for our two-month season. Thanks to the generosity of James & Teresa Knipper, who made an apartment available to us, we were able to hire one naturalist from out of the region. And in the second bit of good fortune, we found a great candidate for the second position living right here in Cape May County. We introduced them both to our readers before the season began, and now we want to thank them for a job well done.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WYrYlj6Ioik/X59oL4DmeUI/AAAAAAAACjI/H_yaJxQq6yYB5TIaIenJC2h8FnIvC2T2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_4198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WYrYlj6Ioik/X59oL4DmeUI/AAAAAAAACjI/H_yaJxQq6yYB5TIaIenJC2h8FnIvC2T2gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_4198.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jack McDonough</span></i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Jack McDonough is a remarkable young naturalist who seems to be genuinely in love with every aspect of natural history here in his home county. He grew up exploring the Belleplain State Forest of northern Cape May County, and while he is still a teenager, he has an astounding knowledge of our area's plants and animals. He brought that enthusiasm for natural history to work every day, and while we had many fewer opportunities than most years to engage in educational outreach, Jack still managed to educate and excite the people he would meet while working around Cape May Point. He's also a very skilled photographer, and he is assembling a set of photos for the use of those involved with the project in future years. Watch for an upcoming book on the natural history and ecology of Cape May County that he's working on.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mMHgaw_DC5M/X59qOuzP0qI/AAAAAAAACjU/4UCaAvCRuDIGo450xdrVJE3xFRQTW-gegCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_4199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mMHgaw_DC5M/X59qOuzP0qI/AAAAAAAACjU/4UCaAvCRuDIGo450xdrVJE3xFRQTW-gegCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_4199.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Kat Culbertson</i></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Katherine "Kat" Culbertson wouldn't have been available to work with our project had 2020 been a normal year. She was working as a Peace Corps volunteer in Madagascar when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Peace Corps to bring everyone back home -- she had been scheduled to keep working over there until 2021. With plans to begin graduate school in the fall of 2021, she was suddenly left with a gap in her plans, and to our good fortune she found our project and accepted the job on short notice. Her strong academic background from Harvard University put her in a great position to work with some of the data that we have gathered over the project's 30 year history -- and it looks like a scientific publication will result from her work. Kat, like Jack, was a great ambassador for monarchs in our educational programs and the many informal contacts that happen when you walk around Cape May Point with a butterfly net.</p><p>Our project would not be able to continue without the hard work of our seasonal naturalists. We offer a huge amount of thanks (and a few very modest paychecks) to both Jack and Kat for the great work that they both accomplished. We also benefit from the work of many volunteers who help with our tagging, and most importantly, from donors who make contributions throughout the year, whether "adopting" one of our tagged monarchs, contributing to our "Monarchists" team in the annual World Series of Birding fundraiser, or making other donations. We run a vigorous program on a very small budget -- the salaries of our seasonal naturalists are the biggest expense -- and this year we missed out on the funds that are generated annually as part of our tagging demos at Cape May Point State Park. Very big thanks to all of you who have made contributions in the past, and if you're in a position to make a contribution this year, contact us at monarchs@njaudubon.org for details on how you can help.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RZ9_lz84bcI/X59t2-0mYVI/AAAAAAAACjg/42e1avA8omgCEOboj4O687h6X_Y4r-qggCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/CMB00421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1745" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RZ9_lz84bcI/X59t2-0mYVI/AAAAAAAACjg/42e1avA8omgCEOboj4O687h6X_Y4r-qggCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/CMB00421.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Monarch feeding on Mexican sunflower in Cape May Point</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>As for the monarchs, we continued to see a few around Cape May Point right through October 31, but with freezing temperatures throughout New England and south into central New Jersey on October 30, we can't expect more to be migrating from our north. It didn't freeze here, however, and a few late migrants might still be around, but the 2020 monarch season is essentially over. That's how it should be, as the beginning of November typically heralds the arrival of huge numbers into the Monarch sanctuaries of central Mexico, and indeed people have been seeing thousands upon thousands flying into those amazing Mexican mountain forests. As we've done for the last 3 years we'll continue our census for one extra week into November, but our job is now mostly wrapping up the season's data, preparing our annual report, and getting all of our project equipment organized and stowed away, awaiting the beginning of the 2021 field season.<br /><p><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-90879668818574542512020-10-22T13:58:00.000-04:002020-10-22T13:58:57.307-04:00Bonus Programs<p>The last of our originally scheduled educational programs occurred on October 17. With the continuation of mild weather, and the presence of good numbers of monarchs around Cape May, we are pleased to offer to extra "bonus" programs this fall. Preregistration is required, like all of our programs this fall. To register visit the <a href="https://njaudubon.org/calendar/category/cape-may-bird-observatorys-northwood-center/" target="_blank">New Jersey Audubon website</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WCpv93Z81b4/X5HBhuLRKnI/AAAAAAAACig/cqqXCLoMCCsV1RWgkj6XqSQqXOUEC27yACLcBGAsYHQ/s4864/CMB09604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="4864" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WCpv93Z81b4/X5HBhuLRKnI/AAAAAAAACig/cqqXCLoMCCsV1RWgkj6XqSQqXOUEC27yACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/CMB09604.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><u>Monarch Biology: Friday, October 23, 1:30 to 2:30 pm</u></p><p>Join CMBO Monarch Monitoring Project naturalists for this special program about the Monarch migration through Cape May! Join CMBO Monarch Monitoring Project naturalists for a stroll through a milkweed-filled meadow to learn about Monarch Butterfly biology and migration. We’ll hope to see monarchs and other butterflies, and we’ll wrap up by tagging one or more monarchs and send them on their way to Mexico. Family-friendly. Meet at The Nature Conservancy's Garrett Family Preserve.</p><p>COST: $6 members, $10 nonmembers.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UVWfb8yZiSg/X5HCIocfoxI/AAAAAAAACis/X9vIDWMKQDwi9Qy07xxBt4jtRgx54Xh4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1305/Image%2B10-22-20%2Bat%2B1.30%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1305" height="261" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UVWfb8yZiSg/X5HCIocfoxI/AAAAAAAACis/X9vIDWMKQDwi9Qy07xxBt4jtRgx54Xh4wCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h261/Image%2B10-22-20%2Bat%2B1.30%2BPM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><u>Invasive Mantids: Saturday, October 24, 1:30 to 3:00 pm</u></p><p>Join Naturalist Jack McDonough to learn about the three species of Mantids in Cape May and how they’re impacting the Monarchs butterflies. Every summer and fall, hundreds of Monarch Butterflies are hunted and eaten by invasive species of mantis. Monarchs, who have already been so heavily in decline in recent years due to anthropogenic activity, suffer even further from invasive mantis. Our goal here at the Cape May Monarch Monitoring Project is to help remove the invasive mantis as best we can from our area. Would you like to help take action? Would you like to be responsible for saving hundreds of lives of the incredible Monarch Butterfly and help restore their population? Then come join us on Saturday October 24th and learn how you can help.</p><p>There are three species of mantid found in Cape May, one is native but two are introduced, often outcompeting the native species and causing other environmental damage. Learn to identify all three species, both as adults and by their egg masses (“Ootheca”), then take a walk along the trails at Cape May Point State Park to remove egg masses of the invasive species.</p><p>COST: FREE, but preregistration is required.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8jdmAy_8kus/X5HF19AXFYI/AAAAAAAACi4/951mntVj3Powj67NYw7idVyZFq5iAf7MwCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-114983837-380234268917-1-original.20201017-165847.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="720" height="271" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8jdmAy_8kus/X5HF19AXFYI/AAAAAAAACi4/951mntVj3Powj67NYw7idVyZFq5iAf7MwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h271/https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-114983837-380234268917-1-original.20201017-165847.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A fallen Monarch… a beautiful female taken by the hungry claws of a mantis. <br />They eat the butterflies head and body after stripping off their wings, as seen here, <br />where the wings are left to blow away in the wind.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>NEW JERSEY AUDUBON’S PROGRAM GUIDELINES:</p><p>New Jersey Audubon field trips and programs adhere to CDC guidelines; leaders have the right to ask a participant to leave the program if someone is not adhering to these guidelines for the health and safety of all. Leaders and participants must wear face coverings throughout the program and maintain social distancing (at least 6’ of separation). Leaders may remove their face covering in order to be heard by the group while maintaining social distance. Please do not come to a program if you are sick or have a sick family member. There will be no sharing of equipment including binoculars or spotting scopes.</p><p>***If you have spent time in a state that appears on New Jersey’s Travel Advisories, we request that you do not attend the program and will provide a full refund.***</p><p>WHAT TO BRING: It is recommended to bring your own clippers, if you want to help remove the egg masses from trees. Bring binoculars if you have them.</p><p>TRANSPORTATION: We may walk up to 1.5 miles, over generally level, sometimes muddy or sandy terrain. Some trips involve walks over jetties.</p><p>CANCELLATION: CMBO programs require a minimum number of registrants to run, five days in advance of the start of the tour, but are seldom cancelled. If we do cancel, due to lack of participation, severe weather, or unforeseen circumstances, we notify all participants in advance and all are eligible for a full credit or refund. Participants may cancel without penalty if greater than 30 days in advance. Cancellations 10 to 30 days in advance may be subject to a 25% service charge. No refunds or credits for cancellations less than ten days in advance unless due to health emergencies</p>Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-43910011471349726702020-10-01T14:25:00.007-04:002020-10-01T14:26:22.660-04:00How to Raise Monarch Caterpillars<p> <i>Director's Note: Our two seasonal naturalists for 2020, Katherine Culbertson and Jack McDonough, are preparing a series of blog posts designed to educate readers about many aspects of monarch biology and related topics. Here's the fourth of this series, written by Katherine Culbertson, and titled:</i> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">How to Raise Monarch Caterpillars</span></b></p><p>In our previous educational blog post, we talked about the monarch’s life cycle; if you want to watch this fascinating process up close, it’s easy to raise your very own monarchs. In fact, many elementary school science classrooms hatch out monarch and other butterflies to teach kids about metamorphosis, but you’re never too old to witness this magical process. Below is all the information you need to get started!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>A few key things to remember before bringing monarchs home:</li><li>Monarch caterpillars ONLY eat milkweed, and must always have fresh food</li><li>Monarchs must be in a naturally lit area (but not in direct sunlight) for them to properly develop; a shaded porch is ideal, but an indoor room with natural lighting can work in a pinch</li><li>It will take about 4 weeks for your monarch eggs to turn into an adult butterfly</li><li>Be sure to release your monarchs close to where you found them! (i.e. Please do not bring them to Cape May to release if you didn’t find them here.)</li><li>It is inadvisable to raise large numbers of monarchs; just a few give you chances to observe the whole process of growth and metamorphosis.</li></ul><p></p><p>You will need:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Bug box, aquarium tank, or similar container with good airflow</li><li>Milkweed cuttings – be sure to collect the same variety you found your caterpillar(s) on</li><li>Either: </li><li>(1)<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A small bottle or similar container filled with water (to put milkweed in) AND Plastic wrap or foil (to cover water so that caterpillars don’t fall in!) </li><li>OR</li><li>(2)<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Wet paper towels</li></ul><p></p><p>Before you collect your monarch caterpillars, be sure you have a secure place to keep them with good airflow. Caterpillars are escape artists, so there cannot be any gaps small enough for them to fit through. A bug box or aquarium with a mesh lid makes a good home for caterpillars, as does a mesh butterfly cage. Be sure to place your caterpillars’ new home in a place with natural lighting, but not in direct sunlight.</p><p>The best place to find your monarch eggs or caterpillars is in your garden, or another milkweed patch close to your home. There are three species of milkweed that you can find monarch eggs on near Cape May – swamp milkweed, common milkweed, or butterfly weed. (If you live outside of Cape May, check what milkweed varieties grow in your area!) Caterpillars or eggs can be found on milkweed plants from May to October. Check the small tender leaves at the top of plants especially well – female monarchs often prefer laying eggs on these leaves. Eggs can be tricky to find, as they are only about the size of the head of a pin! They are off-white in color, and are always laid individually; if you spot a cluster of eggs, they are definitely not monarch eggs. The best way to spot tiny caterpillars is to look for small holes in milkweed leaves, where they have just begun to eat.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qa93EZq0FWE/X3YdtDENssI/AAAAAAAAChs/NC8xCdrSyfsyv6DNUEevpIS8lB0cJjgpQCLcBGAsYHQ/s519/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-01%2Bat%2B2.16.48%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="519" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qa93EZq0FWE/X3YdtDENssI/AAAAAAAAChs/NC8xCdrSyfsyv6DNUEevpIS8lB0cJjgpQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-01%2Bat%2B2.16.48%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>If you find a leaf with an egg on it that is close to the top of a milkweed plant, if is best to snap off the entire top of the plant and stick it in water (see below), as this will keep the leaves fresh until the egg hatches. If this isn’t possible, break off the leaf and wrap the end in a wet paper towel, making sure to moisten it twice a day and provide fresh leaves as soon as the caterpillar hatches (which may take up to 4 days). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wrNclRyOsAU/X3Yd2WF_XcI/AAAAAAAAChw/Jl33pGk648I9WK-NlJG71bXBqnNogFhowCLcBGAsYHQ/s832/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-01%2Bat%2B2.17.53%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="832" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wrNclRyOsAU/X3Yd2WF_XcI/AAAAAAAAChw/Jl33pGk648I9WK-NlJG71bXBqnNogFhowCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-01%2Bat%2B2.17.53%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>For the next two weeks, as your caterpillar(s) grow, it is important that they always have access to fresh milkweed. There are two ways you can do this:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1721" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OPmiraE6M3Q/X3Yb5MXsTyI/AAAAAAAAChY/FPClMLxqhIwLyXQiP36A0DFY7CQZo3GWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_2234.jpg" /></div><p>(1)<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Cut off the top of a milkweed plant and place it in a bottle or similar container filled with water (the same way you would place a bouquet of flowers in a vase). Be sure to cover the gap between the milkweed stem and the edge of the container with plastic wrap or foil so that the caterpillar(s) don’t fall in the water and drown! Caterpillars don’t need to drink water directly, as they get all the water they need through eating milkweed leaves. Replace the milkweed cuttings if they start to die, dry out, or if your caterpillar has eaten nearly all the leaves. </p><p>(2)<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Break off a few milkweed leaves, and wrap the cut ends in a wet paper towel. Be sure to keep the paper towel wet, and to provide your growing caterpillars with fresh leaves every day!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1246" data-original-width="1858" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dXnH_jcsC1I/X3YcDpt47mI/AAAAAAAAChc/fLJ9Hp1fr1MtVDVFDat2pj3UL2okMrw4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/IMG_2236.jpg" width="320" /></div><p>When your caterpillar is ready to form its chrysalis, it will start wandering around, looking for a good, secure spot. It’s especially important to be sure it can’t get out of the container you’ve placed it in now – if it does, you may never find it again! Before it forms its chrysalis, the caterpillar will hang upside-down in a J shape. Don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong with it – it’s just getting ready to shed its skin for the last time and transform into a chrysalis. It’s very important to not disturb it while it is in this stage, so if it chose to pupate on the lid of your caterpillar home, wait to open it until it has shed its skin and the chrysalis has hardened before carefully removing the lid.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1010" data-original-width="736" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-by_9jbDKtG8/X3YeTZJAOKI/AAAAAAAACh8/CjQCj8Uxl6YfokWjpXZcEjIWJ7H_li_jACLcBGAsYHQ/w291-h400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-01%2Bat%2B2.21.15%2BPM.png" width="291" /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1005" data-original-width="727" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ospPcOay8bY/X3YeyQFGrjI/AAAAAAAACiE/NB1nvPfsEhkfHD8b6ainu_IdX4Wp06HmQCLcBGAsYHQ/w289-h400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-10-01%2Bat%2B2.22.40%2BPM.png" width="289" /></div></div><p><br />After about 10-14 days, you’ll notice the chrysalis starting to darken; it will turn a purple-black color, and you’ll be able to see the orange wings of the developing butterfly! At this point, be very careful not to disturb the chrysalis. Soon, the butterfly will emerge, its wings wet and crumpled. The new butterfly must hang upside down for a couple of hours to allow its wings to dry, and if it is disturbed during this time, it might injure itself and never be able to fly properly.</p><p>Once the butterfly has completely dried its wings and starts to flap them, it is ready to go! Release it back into the wild near where you found it, and if it hatches out in Sept/Oct, perhaps it’ll make it all the way to Mexico!</p><p>Note: Remember, not all caterpillars will survive until adulthood. Some may become sick, some are parasitized by wasps (this is why it’s better to collect small caterpillars than large ones) and some aren’t able to properly form or hatch out of their chrysalis. As long as you’ve provided your caterpillar(s) with good food, kept them in a naturally lit place, and left them alone while they’re pupating, you’ve done the best you can, and if some of them don’t make it, it’s not your fault! It’s just part of life. Remember, butterflies have different life strategies than us - each female butterfly will lay 100-300 eggs, and only a few of those will actually survive to adulthood. </p><div><br /></div>Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-13592102143818256172020-09-27T21:47:00.001-04:002020-09-27T21:47:48.957-04:00 Season Update, September 27, 2020<p>It's been a while since our last post, and we apologize for that, but we're starting to get busy with monarchs in Cape May Point. The weather changed abruptly on September 18, with cooler temperatures and winds blowing from the north. North winds trigger migration, but most monarchs come into Cape May when there's also a westerly component, and for 4 days we had winds from the northeast. We saw some influx of monarchs into Cape May, certainly more than we had seen earlier in the season, but the numbers really picked up over the last 3 days. Gentle northeast winds today triggered an exodus, as many headed out across the Bay towards Delaware, but there's still no shortage of monarchs at Cape May Point. South winds are predicted for Monday and Tuesday, and while that's not likely to bring many more monarchs into Cape May, the ones that are here aren't likely to leave.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BTT0MmuuWX8/X3E6tIxUmII/AAAAAAAACgU/xltAIVd8a-UfwjjpzQOcKcZfNnpm0XX4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/CMB08894.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BTT0MmuuWX8/X3E6tIxUmII/AAAAAAAACgU/xltAIVd8a-UfwjjpzQOcKcZfNnpm0XX4wCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/CMB08894.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Monarchs at Cape May Point, 9/27/20</span></i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>That should all change Wednesday, if the forecast holds, when the next cold front is predicted to arrive bringing northwest winds and, with luck, a big influx of migrating birds and monarchs. Another front is predicted to arrive on Friday, meaning we could be in for several excellent days for viewing monarchs throughout southern New Jersey. Most of our work is focused on Cape May Point, and we suggest that monarch fans visit the public gardens at Pavilion Circle, the south end of Lake Lily, Triangle Park, and Cape May Point State Park -- all can be very good spots for viewing monarchs. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hdhl67WgunQ/X3FAJWq3iSI/AAAAAAAAChI/JL2tsM3pCzYPn0d9wrSpiHZaic5JMn0dQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1908/IMG_3927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="1429" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hdhl67WgunQ/X3FAJWq3iSI/AAAAAAAAChI/JL2tsM3pCzYPn0d9wrSpiHZaic5JMn0dQCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/IMG_3927.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Monarchs at the south end of Lake Lily, Cape May Point<br /></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The next week will bring the beginning of the bloom period for seaside goldenrod, a great nectar source that is widespread in the dunes. You can observe from the beach or one of the dune crossover trails, but never walk into the dunes away from the paths -- footsteps can quickly turn into erosion on these sandy structures, and the dunes are crucial for protecting coastal areas from storm tides and floods.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dRFaIj9Hor8/X3E8tBMTOKI/AAAAAAAACgg/SBuyO9uwJWUYyAcvW7MwtSHgI6W88U4OACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/CM500240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dRFaIj9Hor8/X3E8tBMTOKI/AAAAAAAACgg/SBuyO9uwJWUYyAcvW7MwtSHgI6W88U4OACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/CM500240.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Monarch on seaside goldenrod, Cape May Point dunes, 2019<br /></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>There are many other places where monarchs concentrate in southern New Jersey. The south end of the barrier islands along the Atlantic coast are often excellent, places like the Two Mile Beach Unit of the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge and Stone Harbor Point. There are some great spots along the Delaware Bay shore as well, with East Point, at the mouth of the Maurice River in Cumberland County, a particularly good location. Any meadow filled with fall-blooming flowers can be good, such as the meadow filled with tall goldenrod at the Garrett Family Preserve, where our team is conducting monarch programs on Friday and Saturday afternoons this fall. Find information about registering for our programs here: <a href="https://njaudubon.org/event/monarch-biology-5/" target="_blank">https://njaudubon.org/event/monarch-biology-5/</a>. Pay careful attention to the directions if you do sign up, some folks have had trouble finding this hidden gem of a nature reserve, which is owned and operated by The Nature Conservancy. </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rSPRwdgYtj8/X3E-C7le1oI/AAAAAAAACgw/mf57nzE06sIJuOtcAp8b5GeF-lTgrxeMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2016/IMG_3838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rSPRwdgYtj8/X3E-C7le1oI/AAAAAAAACgw/mf57nzE06sIJuOtcAp8b5GeF-lTgrxeMwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/IMG_3838.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Meadow filled with tall goldenrod at the Garrett Family Preserve</i><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Our team has been tagging lots of monarchs, so it's time for our annual reminders about tagging monarchs. If you see a monarch with a tag, try to read the code that's the final line on the tag, consisting of 4 letters and 3 numbers. On the monarch shown below, that code is ACBA 170. Often a digital photo can be enlarged on the computer and the tag code can be read. Visit the web address shown on the tag, <a href="mwtag.org" target="_blank">mwtag.org</a><a href="http://mwtag.org"></a>, and fill out the form with the date and location of your find, and you'll be making a big contribution to our understanding of monarch migration.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A8YAK0-6-tU/X3E-3doll-I/AAAAAAAACg8/kIZv5pT3SNkQ5Qs1GceWYpgPD9paOPwBwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/CMB08895.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A8YAK0-6-tU/X3E-3doll-I/AAAAAAAACg8/kIZv5pT3SNkQ5Qs1GceWYpgPD9paOPwBwCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/CMB08895.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Monarch ACBA 170, tagged at Cape May Point<br /></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>We know that there are other monarch enthusiasts who tag -- anyone who is interested can purchase tags from <a href="https://monarchwatch.org/tagmig/index.htm" target="_blank">Monarch Watch</a>, and there's no special license required. If you're a tagger and you're not part of our project, we'd suggest visiting one of the other sites listed above, as we have Cape May Point well covered, but if you do tag here, we ask that you share your tagging data so we can include your tagging numbers with our long-term data set. Many thanks!<br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-38591285174470165182020-09-16T13:39:00.001-04:002020-09-16T13:53:25.488-04:00Monarch Life Cycle<p> <i>Director's Note: Our two seasonal naturalists for 2020, Katherine Culbertson and Jack McDonough, are preparing a series of blog posts designed to educate readers about many aspects of monarch biology and related topics. Here's the third of this series, written by Katherine Culbertson, with photos by Katherine (except chrysalis and Mexico photos by Mark Garland), and titled:</i> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Monarch Life Cycle</span></b></p><p>We’re all familiar with adult monarchs – the beautiful black-and-orange butterflies flitting around Cape May right now, sipping nectar out of flowers. But this is only part of their amazing life cycle – and a small fraction of the life of most non-migratory generations. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="1131" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5jPyaD78pCw/X2JJfQLRNWI/AAAAAAAACfI/Nhe6byyxQUo3hlhbBcsj0S-41DqEl9FkACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/IMG_3772.jpeg" width="400" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Adult female monarch butterfly</i></span><br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="594" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OHIaffpEsG0/X2JIWh-0QcI/AAAAAAAACew/IMw_6_NkeWY-invcbqVrQz-GthDzZHZmQCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/IMG_2095.jpg" width="300" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Monarch egg</span></i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Monarchs start life as a tiny egg laid on a milkweed leaf. Every female monarch will lay around 100-300 eggs in her lifetime, each on its own individual leaf. Milkweeds, plants of the genus Asclepias, are the host plants for monarchs; their caterpillars won’t eat anything else. There are 73 species of milkweeds native to the U.S., of which about 30 are known to be used by monarchs. These plants can vary widely in appearance, ranging from the large broad leaves of the common milkweed to the narrower, pointy leaves of butterfly weed and swamp milkweed, and to the vine-like climbing milkweed.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="594" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VcYgQZF-pDc/X2JI_9ctDRI/AAAAAAAACe8/9FNRXMOj-ho4C3lQ-Q-2fuFr4PPcQNw6QCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/IMG_2093.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Newly hatched monarch caterpillar<br /></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>After about 4-6 days monarch eggs hatch into tiny caterpillars. A newly hatched caterpillar doesn’t have its bright yellow, black, and white banded pattern yet; it also isn’t poisonous yet, as it hasn’t eaten enough milkweed. As the caterpillar grows, its striking colors become more defined. This coloration serves as a warning to birds and other would-be predators that monarchs do not make a good snack – they sequester a toxin from the milkweed they feed on that is toxic to any vertebrates that might try to eat them. A caterpillar’s only job is to eat; and eat, eat, eat, they do! From the time they hatch to when they form their chrysalis – a mere 10-14 days – a monarch caterpillar will increase in size more than a thousand-fold. For comparison, that’s like if a human baby, born at 8lbs, grew to be the size of an Asian Elephant in two weeks! As they grow, monarchs must shed their exoskeleton; that is, they must discard the tough chitinous material that covers their bodies to allow them to continue growing. This process is called molting. Each time a monarch molts, it transitions to a new stage called an instar. Monarch caterpillars molt 5 times during their lives, and thus have 5 instars.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="1131" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UZHOpQLGlX8/X2JKJTxW_JI/AAAAAAAACfU/wSSBhsn7sagGO5HwcKcR61KhRnQQtYhXwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/IMG_3801.jpeg" width="400" /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Fifth instar monarch caterpillar</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>When monarchs have reached their 5th instar, after about two weeks of eating and growing, they are ready to pupate – to form a chrysalis, within which they will go through the process of metamorphosis, transforming into an adult butterfly. Once the 5th instar caterpillars become ready to pupate, they get the urge to wander until they find a suitable, protected place to form their chrysalis. Once they have selected a site, they attach themselves to that spot with silk, and hang upside down in a “J” shape. Soon, they molt a final time, and their appearance has completely changed – gone is the black, white, and yellow striped caterpillar, and in its place, an emerald green chrysalis hangs, decorated with gold “jewels”. The chrysalis may look dormant, but much is happening inside. The various parts of the adult butterfly – legs, wings, and other things – have already started growing within the large, fleshy body of the caterpillar, but now they continue to develop and rearrange within the chrysalis to assemble the adult butterfly. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="620" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-So0MRIW6G4U/X2JKdXiA9RI/AAAAAAAACfc/6UF5upCPZlAa_JjnlPsbhtImsgYBg7wVACLcBGAsYHQ/w380-h400/IMG_2147.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="380" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Monarch chrysalis </span></i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>After about two weeks, the chrysalis will start to change color, shifting from emerald green to a dark, purple-black tone; the bright orange of the butterfly’s wings starts to show through, as well. The butterfly is almost ready to emerge! Soon, the bottom of the chrysalis splits open, and out crawls the fully formed butterfly. At first, the butterfly’s wings are wet and crumpled, and the newly emerged butterfly must wait for them to expand and dry out before taking its first flight. Its proboscis – the straw-like mouth that allows it to suck nectar out of flowers – also isn’t properly formed yet when it hatches out. The two sides of the proboscis must “zip” together after it hatches out. Once the butterfly’s wings have dried, you can tell whether they are male or female – the males have an elongated black patch on both of their rear wings, which produces chemicals used in courtship by many species of butterflies. Females don’t have these patches, and also tend to be slightly darker and smaller than males, with thicker black wing veins.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="640" height="260" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ufs5m6MpogU/X2JLZf5rUuI/AAAAAAAACfk/sv0oMTyxLpIF30RJMPIi8g4jnC9DrnGFQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h260/IMG_3743%2Bcopy.tiff" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Adult male monarch</span></i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="1131" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U4WC8FXHblM/X2JLt9ACOyI/AAAAAAAACfs/QJ8KaGYuBPg6HDMpJCAP_dU1rWcsh2QzACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/IMG_3751.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mating monarchs</span></i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Most monarch adults only live about 2-5 weeks, and don’t migrate long distances. Every summer, 3 or 4 generations of these non-migratory monarchs hatch out, migrating relatively short distances as the weather warms and their summer range expands. They mate and lay eggs along the way, parenting the next generation of monarchs. The final generation of the year, however, has a completely different life in store! As the fall approaches, something – no one is sure exactly what – causes this final generation to delay their reproduction and start migrating south. These are the butterflies that will fly hundreds, perhaps more than two thousand miles, and overwinter in Mexico. As they travel, the nectar they drink from flowers allows them to build up enough fat reserves to spend the winter dormant in Mexico. Unlike the previous generations, they will live 6 to 9 months, and in the spring, they will reawaken, mate, and lay eggs as they start to venture north, beginning the first generation of summer monarchs for the next year.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w3Hf9AJ_3Ng/X2JNJz85IfI/AAAAAAAACf4/dzpUNGSEOg4goattyhBgG5arSTU_K0uvwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/MG100770.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Monarchs starting to head north from Mexico wintering grounds<br /></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="1131" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l9zm2lT4dAo/X2JQ_bMrPjI/AAAAAAAACgE/_R1dmL29AfkmbAY3ZQ3NyOfRkPlCTTWYACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/IMG_3763.jpeg" width="400" /></div><br /><div><br /></div>Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-52037607735771777862020-09-12T21:20:00.001-04:002020-09-16T13:12:43.423-04:00Monarchs and Viceroys<p><i>Director's Note: Our two seasonal naturalists for 2020, Katherine Culbertson and Jack McDonough, are preparing a series of blog posts designed to educate readers about many aspects of monarch biology and related topics. Here's the second of this series, written by Jack McDonough, with photos by Jack, and titled:</i> </p><p><b>Monarchs and Viceroys: A Tale of Mimicry</b></p><p><span> </span>Migrating Monarchs, look, they’re all around us! Or are they? What if I told you that there are imposters out there, wanna be butterflies who wish they could be as awesome as the Monarch, so they dress up as Monarchs to steal all their praise and glory. Thousands of Monarchs in Cape May suffer every year from identity theft by Viceroys, taking a huge toll on their credibility as butterflies. Person after person will come along and take photos of Monarchs, admiring them for their intense migration and nobility, when in reality, it's just a vile Viceroy in disguise! Help save the Monarch community in restoring their respect by educating yourself below. Together, we can expose the criminal activity of the vile Viceroys and win back the mighty Monarchs title of being the best butterfly.</p><p> Viceroys (<i>Limenitis archippus</i>) are Monarch mimics, even though they're not very closely related. The mimicry of Viceroys was originally referred to as Batesian mimicry, named for Henry Walter Bates, who in 1862 discovered that some species falsely mimic the aposematism of other species (found commonly in snakes, plants, and in multiple species of butterflies). Aposematism is the term biologists use when species have bright flashy colors (usually red or orange paired with black) that warns predators that they are distasteful or toxic to eat. Upon seeing these bright colors, predators leave them alone. Monarchs are toxic to invertebrates, so any mammal or bird that might wish to take a bite into a Monarch will quickly regret the decision. However, it has been recently discovered that Viceroys are, in fact, toxic as well, having evolved a different kind of toxin than Monarchs. So this is actually called Müllerian co-mimicry and not the Batesian mimicry as previously thought. Müllerian mimicry is when two or more species evolve similar appearances when both toxicity and/or foul taste, so that a lesser toll is taken on each species by predators who are still learning to avoid that appearance. By looking almost the same and both being toxic partners, the two species (in this case the Monarch and the Viceroy) both benefit from each other. However, because of this evolutionary adaptation, they’re often hard to distinguish. Sneaky, but not sneaky enough to get past our naturalists here at the Monarch Monitoring Project! Viceroys can be detected by the thin black line that up-curves across the hind wing of the butterfly that Monarchs do not possess. Viceroys also tend to be smaller and a little brighter in color. Unlike Monarchs, Viceroys do not migrate, and they breed on willow, as opposed to milkweed. Viceroy caterpillars can survive winter as caterpillars, and they have much more stable numbers since they don't need to take long migratory journeys. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="278" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xEdnA2SSva1eq7_FK-6tIzJ-7Htbjl7BnbrVJNVnDy8mRx967mnRWFy3EVNwinYU71mRyR2zuAGl6sJDUD4pRYl4VjJQONHnI7-zOvT8sACynWM86WPhVEGI3tvSWAg04QwHawhN=w400-h278" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: italic; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Viceroy practices Müllerian mimicry with the Monarch to increase its survival chances
<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="271" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/rR-ekYcSbo0D0j3XjjCzzCArQrhz1Qt1BOaOxlr39bEBzFQw7usv-qsbCI1EYelflGLsR8cJj34h1XoqrPEu5oZLc7fMsREV8BG0utRlrDSkBpDF0q3hAH5YkUh_xrnWscNMtLTB=w400-h271" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Monarchs have bright orange color to alert potential predators of their toxicity;
this communicative warning is called aposematism
</i></span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: x-small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span> </span>If you thought the story ended there, look again: even the caterpillars can be deceptive! Black Swallowtails (Papilio polyxenes) have caterpillars that can look very similar to that of Monarchs. The easiest way to tell the difference between Black Swallowtail and Monarch caterpillars is to note that Monarch caterpillars have filaments off their front and rear that appear as a type of attennae, while swallowtails do not have this. Monarchs are stripped with black, white, and yellow; swallowtails are more spotted in design with black and yellow, lacking white. Swallowtails are also much chubbier, especially at the head. Then, if all else fails and you get confused, or are unsure, just remember the host plant. Monarchs only breed on milkweed, whereas Black Swallowtails lay eggs on parsley, as well as carrot, celery, dill, and fennel. So if you have a big plump green caterpillar in your vegetable garden, it’s most likely a Black Swallowtail. </p><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-ff50a312-7fff-c958-6f7f-047240f1d32f"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="267" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/vIWh9rrLWWamkwmn3n0k5ApdP1QFLtQghkEu4VlWKxhMChTBEYQUZeBdVy_TrwvadLkVPDHaeKFNgKcZlNGeZR1sPjnqvIQ8evmxZejLnGKuZJCF8BX7fHPeAIiJQPQYWdCad5W0=w400-h267" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: italic; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Monarch caterpillar on Common Milkweed
<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="274" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/oEV4gXCQT_GP0Aznlw6kYFkks_Ue_BVvqOrPKHhmxQ8hzkhEHx8FbMoICRUcMUyI1ILdGe4CmTO-r-4aa0CNeAXaDI61WljddhdxLFsQDDmf54eeBD3GLc9-kXeqnKg11u9Khfea=w400-h274" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: italic; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Black Swallowtail caterpillar on parsley </span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 413px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 604px;"></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-24526534-7fff-4dd5-d052-b8bba753aa4f"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-83826246480086013442020-09-10T21:59:00.000-04:002020-09-10T21:59:01.029-04:00Census Results, Week 1<p>Those of you who have followed the Monarch Monitoring Project for a while are aware of the daily censuses that our team conducts between Sept. 1 and Oct. 31. This is year 29 for our census, surely making it one of the longest duration quantitative surveys of monarchs that's ever been conducted. We summarize the census by weeks, and during this year's first week (Sept. 1 - 7), the average was 12.5 monarchs sighted per hour (see chart, below). This ranks 18th for week 1, meaning 17 years have seen a higher average and 11 have seen a lower one. It's still too early to predict if the whole season will be above or below the long term average, which is why we continue to count monarchs several times, every single day, during our two month field season.</p><p>We want to remind monarch enthusiasts who raise monarchs inside that it's always best to release them into the wild at the same location where they first emerge. Every year we see well-meaning people bring monarchs to Cape May Point for release. There's evidence that moving recently emerged monarchs impairs their navigational ability. It's also very true that Cape May can be a hazardous place for monarchs, as the dozen miles of ocean water between Cape May and Cape Henlopen in Delaware is a very difficult trek for a monarch butterfly, especially one that's been moved here from elsewhere. Finally, bringing monarchs to Cape May can impact our long-term census. So please, release your monarchs where you raise them.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cIR29IRctbA/X1rXewDqPnI/AAAAAAAACek/bk47vzWiZPAXpEONYxL5qOxzH_TCurecACLcBGAsYHQ/s1038/Image%2B9-10-20%2Bat%2B9.47%2BPM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1038" height="310" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cIR29IRctbA/X1rXewDqPnI/AAAAAAAACek/bk47vzWiZPAXpEONYxL5qOxzH_TCurecACLcBGAsYHQ/w625-h310/Image%2B9-10-20%2Bat%2B9.47%2BPM.jpg" width="625" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-20376964125346021552020-09-09T13:58:00.003-04:002020-09-10T13:58:44.282-04:00 Little Butterfly, Big Journey<p><i>Director's Note: Our two seasonal naturalists for 2020, Katherine Culbertson and Jack McDonough, are preparing a series of blog posts designed to educate readers about many aspects of monarch biology and related topics. We will still post updates and summaries on the state of the migration through Cape May, but we hope readers will find these additional posts to be both interesting and informative. The first from this series was written by Katherine Culbertson, titled: </i></p><p><b>Little Butterfly, Big Journey: A little bit about monarch migration and why it matters</b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1146" data-original-width="1671" height="274" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gwCKcPDv0v4/X1kLRnFIqzI/AAAAAAAACd4/gz97yoFSLyIw54kS7IOPgqmv4X-GGDGUACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h274/IMG_1644.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Monarch in flight, photo by Jack McDonough</span></i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Monarchs are starting to roll through Cape May on their fall migration! While we’re still a ways out from the peak of their migration, monarchs are becoming more commonplace around the Cape, especially in some of the most elaborate native flower gardens. But where did they come from? And where are they going? And why on earth does it matter? Chances are many of you already know the answers to these questions, but to get everyone up to speed, this blog piece – the first in a series of educational blog posts on monarchs – will set out to address these questions.</p><p>As you likely know, monarchs embark on a seasonal migration through North America each year. Most of the population will overwinter in Mexico, heading north as the weather warms in spring, and returning back south as cooler fall weather approaches again. However, no individual monarch will make the entire migration to Mexico and back; in fact, monarchs complete this journey over at least four generations! During the first four generations, the entire population migrates to the north, taking advantage of the expanding plentiful seasonal milkweed (caterpillar food) and nectar resources (butterfly food) of temperate climates. As the weather starts to change in the fall, the year's final generation – the monarch “super generation” – is born. These butterflies will make the journey all the way from their summer feeding grounds to overwintering sites in Mexico. They travel an average of 50 miles per day on their journey and live nearly 8 times longer than all of the previous generations. Of the monarchs you’re seeing now, some are still part of the last summer generation, which won’t actually make it to Mexico; their children, however, will. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1200" height="301" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YFyNjmjO0s4/X1kMLGcVstI/AAAAAAAACeA/peE_jFsVZtIz2ocrZobeE4weEDTSMSKWACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h301/monarchwatch-map-1200x903.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Monarch migration map courtesy of Monarch Watch</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The migratory monarchs you are beginning to see now likely hatched out in coastal areas of the U.S. and Canada northeast of Cape May – places including New Brunswick, New England, and the eastern part of New York and Pennsylvania, or perhaps right here in New Jersey. Because the northeast part of North America tapers west as it goes south, many monarchs from the northeast regions travel due south until they reach the coast, and then continue to follow it as it tapers into Cape May, creating a sort of natural funnel for the butterflies. (This is the same reason that Cape May is an incredible birding spot, too!)</p><p>Some of the butterflies tagged here in Cape May in the past – at least 90 so far – have made it all the way to Mexico and been recovered there! Our butterflies have been found in several southern states along the flight path to Mexico, too, including Virginia, South Carolina, and Texas. Interestingly, some have ended up in Florida, as well, possibly assimilating into the year-round populations found there. It’s unclear why some monarchs from Cape May end up in Florida, while others make it to Mexico. Did those in Florida end up there intentionally? Or did they simply lose their way on their journey to Mexico, or get detected there en route? Scientists are still trying to figure this out!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xVeCThmAOZE/X1kOyVcPXDI/AAAAAAAACeM/oLKClYT7SJI0MApzKmLrWaKOJrxipQzNQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/MG100972.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Roosting monarchs at Cerro Pelon Sanctuary, Mexico. Photo by Mark S. Garland</i><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Now, the question you’ve all been waiting for: Why is it important to track migrating monarchs? Every monarch enthusiast may have their own unique answers, but I’d contend that tracking monarchs is important for two main reasons: First, monarchs serve as great biological indicator species; second, they are great science education “ambassadors”. </p><p>As an indicator species, tracking the health of monarch populations can help us assess the health of the broader ecosystems they depend on. Because monarch populations need a vast expanse of habitat to successfully complete their multigenerational migration, they are one of the first species to suffer from habitat degradation and fragmentation. They are also easy to see and track, unlike many other less visible species dependent on the same habitat. A decline in monarch populations indicates that something is going wrong across the North American landscape, hopefully motivating actions to improve conservation and habitat restoration before many species are adversely affected.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_OzXrOFuy-Q/X1kPqcTP_SI/AAAAAAAACeU/TmRnY5csiW4lw1jYy4GerMsLJ6sIjED9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1886/IMG_1974.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1454" data-original-width="1886" height="309" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_OzXrOFuy-Q/X1kPqcTP_SI/AAAAAAAACeU/TmRnY5csiW4lw1jYy4GerMsLJ6sIjED9wCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h309/IMG_1974.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Katherine Culbertson at age 8, photo by Chris Culbertson</span></i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>As a “science ambassador”, monarchs hold the power to help people of all ages learn about our incredible natural world. Monarchs are easy to spot, can be found throughout the United States, are easy to raise, and venture on a truly incredible and inspirational journey. We don’t have to go out of our way to encounter them, monarchs can help teach us about migration, conservation, metamorphosis, and so many other things right in our very own backyards and nearby parks. We can all participate in tracking monarchs, too, through the <a href="https://monarchwatch.org" target="_blank">Monarch Watch</a> and <a href="https://journeynorth.org/monarchs" target="_blank">Journey North</a> nationwide citizen science projects. It’s especially magical for children to get involved in raising and providing habitat for these butterflies, generating a deeper understanding of and appreciation for nature. I, for one, can trace my love of science and nature back to my childhood adventures raising many a monarch caterpillar! It’s truly incredible to think a creature so small can travel so far – quite an inspiration for all of us, and a marvel of one of the many mysteries of the natural world! </p><div><br /></div>Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-80910311800884169702020-09-06T22:43:00.000-04:002020-09-06T22:43:11.697-04:00Monarch Programs at Cape May, Fall 2020<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rdJXrhHpvt4/X1Wco0eZQgI/AAAAAAAACds/DGd9iehmuVY0_GvmAkX2LJ93aCiPZXxZwCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_3687.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1613" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rdJXrhHpvt4/X1Wco0eZQgI/AAAAAAAACds/DGd9iehmuVY0_GvmAkX2LJ93aCiPZXxZwCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_3687.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The COVID-19 safety restrictions are severely limiting the number and type of program we can offer this fall, but there are a few opportunities to formally connect with our team this fall, listed below. As in other years, however, there are also informal opportunities to learn about monarchs and the work of our project and to see the butterflies up close. If you're traveling around Cape May Point and see someone with a butterfly net, it should be someone working with our project, and they'll be happy to talk about monarch biology and research with you. We do ask that you follow all of the COVID-19 guidelines when meeting with our staff or volunteers by wearing a facial cover over your mouth and nose and maintaining a distance of 6 feet or more. </p><p>Monarch Biology Walk - A one hour walk on many Fridays and Saturdays this fall, beginning on September 11, at 1:30 pm, meeting at the Garrett Family Preserve. Preregistration required, details here: <a href="https://njaudubon.org/event/monarch-biology-3/" target="_blank">https://njaudubon.org/event/monarch-biology-3/</a></p><p>Monarch Festival - The Nature Center of Cape May is planning a fun mix of virtual, online programs on Thursday and Friday, September 24 and 25, and activities live and in person at the Center on Saturday, September 26. Watch for announcement of the details here: <a href="https://njaudubon.org/centers/nature-center-of-cape-may/" target="_blank">https://njaudubon.org/centers/nature-center-of-cape-may/</a></p><p>New Jersey Audubon's Cape May Fall Festival, October 2 - 4, a virtual event that will include a live broadcast of monarch tagging. Details here: <a href="https://njaudubon.org/cape-may-fall-festival/" target="_blank">https://njaudubon.org/cape-may-fall-festival/</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-3836627561269464662020-09-02T22:05:00.002-04:002020-09-02T22:05:23.002-04:00Field season underwaySept. 2, 2020<br />
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Our field season began yesterday, and we've been getting this year's seasonal crew familiar with the census and other elements of the job. They'll be conducting the driving census 3 times a day until October 15, then twice a day from October 16 to October 31. This is the 29th fall for this census, one of the longest running quantitative studies of any migratory insect. We're seeing a few monarchs around the southern tip of New Jersey, but most aren't showing migratory tendencies. This isn't a surprise, early September monarchs in Cape May are usually part of the penultimate generation of the year, parents of the ones that will go to Mexico.<br />
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Our team has also started tagging monarchs. With the help of volunteers, our team will probably tag between 2,000 to 4,000 monarchs this fall. With luck, some will be found in the mountains of Mexico and a some of the places in between, helping us better understand the routes that monarchs take after passing through Cape May.</div>
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Here's one of the first monarchs tagged this season. The tags are small adhesive disks placed on the underside of a monarch's hind wing. Each tag has a unique code of 4 letters followed by 3 numbers. The web address mwtag.org is also printed on each tag. If you ever find a monarch with a tag, try to read the code (digital cameras work well for this, when you can enlarge the photo on your computer) and then go online to that site, mwtag.org, and click on the link: "Report your tag recovery here." You'll be asked to report the tag code, plus the date and location where you found the monarch. By reporting this information you'll be contributing to our efforts to better understand details of monarch migration.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bill Schuhl</i></td></tr>
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This year we dedicate our work to the memories of three great friends of monarchs from Cape May Point who all passed away since the end of our last field season. Bill Schuhl, Pecki Witonsky, and Mildred Morgan were all great supporters of our project for many years. The tagged monarch shown above was tagged in the garden of Pecki, where the new homeowners are maintaining the garden and welcoming our team to continue tagging at the hotspot for monarchs. With each monarch tagged this year we'll offer silent thanks to these three great friends; we miss them all terribly.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pecki Witonsky</i></td></tr>
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Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-49066987557810071852020-08-27T12:48:00.000-04:002020-08-27T12:48:11.260-04:00Seasonal staff for 2020Everything is different in 2020, as we all know, and that's certainly true for New Jersey Audubon and the Monarch Monitoring Project. Our program schedule will be greatly reduced; details will be shared in an upcoming blog post. <br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">For much of the summer it seemed that we would not be able to hire seasonal staff, but we're happy to report that the stumbling blocks have been removed and, on short notice, we have recruited and hired two terrific naturalists to work with us for the upcoming field season. We asked each of them to introduce themselves to the loyal followers of our project.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Katherine Culbertson</i></td></tr>
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Kat is a lifelong naturalist and monarch enthusiast. Her experiences raising and tagging Monarchs while growing up in Kansas helped inspire her to become an ecologist, with a mission of advancing and sharing knowledge about the fascinating natural world around us! In college, Kat had the opportunity to pursue field research, ultimately leading to her senior thesis project investigating behavioral ecology of Anolis lizards in Florida, and stayed engaged in conservation outreach through the Harvard College Conservation Society. After graduating with a degree in Environmental Science in Public Policy in 2018, she has worked on several conservation projects, from communicating land conservation efforts in New England, to restoring rainforest ecosystems in Madagascar, to helping reintroduce osprey to the Midwest. She plans to continue her career in conservation through pursuing a PhD in ecology starting next fall. Kat is excited to put her science communication and data analysis skills to work as a member of the Cape May Monarch Monitoring Project, hoping to aid in the conservation and appreciation of the magnificent Monarch butterfly!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jack McDonough</i></td></tr>
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I’m a 10-year experienced naturalist and wildlife photographer in Cape May County, NJ. I started birding by the time I was 8 and my love for birds developed into all other aspects of nature by the time I was 13. Now I am a freshman in college in pursuit of a wildlife ecology degree through Rutgers University. I have an extreme passion for art, poetry, and photography with special interests in behavioral ecology and ethology. I have done scientific research with counting and tagging species of birds from shorebirds to osprey with New Jersey Fish and Wildlife and New Jersey Audubon, I have led walks as a naturalist guide at Cape May Point State Park, I have done counts for migratory dragonflies with the Cape May Bird Observatory, I have done butterfly breeding population counts for the North American Butterfly Association, I have taught k-2nd grade about nature and conservation as well as educating the public on marine biology at the Nature Center of Cape May, and I have been a guest speaker at Maud Abrams Elementary School to speak and educate about Snowy Owl conservation. I recently completed writing a book on the ecology of the Cape May peninsula and am looking to publish soon. I’ve been pursuing studies on the cognitive abilities of orb-weavers and the economic practice of sustainability within leaf beetles. I’ve always had a particular calling to be a voice for threatened and endangered species so it's definitely an amazing opportunity to be working with the Monarch Monitoring Project and New Jersey Audubon to help save and restore the population of such an incredible species of butterfly. You can find my work on my Instagram @cape_photos20</div>
<br /><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-77250323660854574172020-08-05T15:53:00.000-04:002020-08-05T15:53:06.944-04:00Plans for 2020 Monarch Migration SeasonSorry we haven't published anything in a long time, it's taken us a while to figure out how we will run our project this year in the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic. The decisions have now been made, so here is a summary of what to expect.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HrTEIWkvt-0/XysN19QylVI/AAAAAAAACbE/iezguZq71ok64GCQ7PMsR_uLcs1UctJpgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/CM500453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2038" data-original-width="2048" height="510" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HrTEIWkvt-0/XysN19QylVI/AAAAAAAACbE/iezguZq71ok64GCQ7PMsR_uLcs1UctJpgCLcBGAsYHQ/w512-h510/CM500453.JPG" width="512" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Our research work will continue with very little change from past years. The road census will be conducted three times a day from Sept. 1 through Oct. 15, and then twice per day from Oct. 16 to 31. The road census provides our long-term data set on the number of monarchs passing through Cape May each autumn, and this will be the 29th consecutive autumn for this long-term data gathering project.</div><div><br /></div><div>We will hire at least one, and possibly two Field Naturalist Interns to work on the project for the months of September and October. Our Naturalists will work with Field Coordinator Louise Zemaitis and Project Director Mark Garland to conduct the road censuses, perform habitat management, tag monarchs, and share information about monarchs to visitors during informal contacts and formal Cape May Bird Observatory programs.</div><div><br /></div><div>Experienced volunteers will also help with tagging and informal education. We will not be able to offer any training for new volunteers, alas, as we adhere to COVID-19 restrictions.</div><div><br /></div><div>For most of the field season we will offer at least one formal program per week, with preregistration required. Per COVID-19 restrictions, face coverings will be required and the group size will be kept very small, with all participants maintaining recommended social distance throughout. We'll share the schedule and registration procedures once that has been finalized.</div><div><br /></div><div>We usually hire our seasonal staff in early July, but due to all of the uncertainties of this year the jobs have just been announced. We will be reviewing resumes and conducting interviews over the next few weeks. The job description and application procedures may be viewed here: <a href="https://njaudubon.org/who-we-are/careers/#1596224578578-61d973ec-50fc" target="_blank">https://njaudubon.org/who-we-are/careers/#1596224578578-61d973ec-50fc</a>. The Field Naturalist Intern position is designed to provide relevant experience for biologists and/or educators just starting out in their careers, but there are not specific age requirements.</div><div><br /></div><div>The year 2020 has been dramatically different for everyone, all around the world, and the Monarch Monitoring Project will be different as well. But we will be able to conduct our research and offer a small amount of public programming, and we'll report back regularly on the status of the migration.</div>Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-29275031103022973062019-10-30T15:28:00.002-04:002019-11-02T11:51:26.612-04:00Modest Monarch Numbers ContinueWe grew used to monarch numbers dropping off quickly during the second half of October, but the pattern seems to be changing. For the fourth year in a row we are seeing steady numbers of monarchs continuing late into the month. Cape May Point is engulfed in a cloud today (Wednesday), with a misty drizzle coming and going, so the monarchs are not very active, and more rain is in the forecast, so we don't know if there will still be monarchs around after the rain. But until there's a hard freeze in the areas to our immediate north, our guess is that modest numbers of monarchs will continue to be seen.<br />
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Seaside goldenrod, a favorite late season nectar source for monarchs, is fading now, with about 90% past bloom. Monarchs are now being seen most often in gardens that still have flowers in bloom.<br />
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<br />Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-29026956717369537752019-10-14T11:41:00.003-04:002019-10-14T11:41:39.026-04:00Monday morning updateWe are seeing the biggest numbers of monarchs of the season thus far at Cape May Point this morning, with good numbers both along the dunes, feeding on seaside goldenrod, and also in various private gardens. Winds are ideal for monarch movement, but we don't know if there will be more monarchs arriving or departing this afternoon, or perhaps equal numbers of both. We don't know how it will be in a few hours, but right now there's a pretty good monarch show happening. Visit any of the dune crossovers in the community of Cape May Point to watch them, but remember, never leave the formal pathways and walk into the dunes, it's not just harmful to the environment, it's actually illegal.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Monarchs on Vitex ("Chaste Tree") in private garden</i></td></tr>
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<br />Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-75122104784952546522019-10-12T11:18:00.003-04:002019-10-12T11:18:40.608-04:00Update for weekend of Oct. 12 - 13Monarch numbers have been gradually increasing over the last few days. If you've never seen more than a few monarchs in one place, you'll be delighted with what can be seen in Cape May right now. Those who have been here when monarchs seem to be everywhere, however, will realize that these are just moderate numbers by Cape May standards. As is typically the case in October, most are found along the dunes in Cape May Point and next to the Promenade in Cape May City, feeding on the flowers of seaside goldenrod. If you come to see or photograph monarchs at these locations, it's crucial to stay on the paths and never enter the dunes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-taPlDkDglR4/XaHqjRVgiGI/AAAAAAAACW8/17Pa2_x1G_s-p9yLbUkBWQ0D1i4SPf7iwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/CM500285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-taPlDkDglR4/XaHqjRVgiGI/AAAAAAAACW8/17Pa2_x1G_s-p9yLbUkBWQ0D1i4SPf7iwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/CM500285.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Female monarch on seaside goldenrod</i></td></tr>
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We are receiving reports of big numbers of monarchs at Stone Harbor Point. Our volunteers up there, coordinated by Sue Slotterback of the Wetlands Institute, use monarch tags that are colored green, so that we can quickly recognize them if they come to Cape May Point. It's surprising how seldom we see the Stone Harbor monarchs, suggesting that once they leave that spot they just fly right over Cape May on their way south. Will we see a lot more monarchs arriving into Cape May Point today? There's no way to know, but we'll be out there watching.<br />
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Our team is very busy with our program schedule. Our last formal tagging demos of the year at Cape May Point will be held this Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 pm. We hosted over 100 people at each of our demos last Friday and Saturday. These free programs are held at the East Picnic Shelter in Cape May Point State Park. Next Friday through Sunday, Oct. 18 - 20, we will have our tagging demos at 12:00 noon at the Cape May Convention Center as part of the NJ Audubon Cape May Fall Festival. Learn more about this fabulous event here: <a href="https://njaudubon.org/nja-events/cape-may-fall-festival/" target="_blank">https://njaudubon.org/nja-events/cape-may-fall-festival/</a>. Our informal "drop-in" programs at Triangle Park, held Mondays through Thursdays, will continue through October 24. And, of course, the big Monarch Migration Festival will be held at the Nature Center of Cape May on Sunday, Oct. 13, details here: <a href="https://njaudubon.org/event/monarch-migration-festival-2/" target="_blank">https://njaudubon.org/event/monarch-migration-festival-2/</a>. We're hoping that there will be good numbers of monarchs at each of these events.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wof9IreQ-UM/XaHGmM20ARI/AAAAAAAACW0/8KHO-RvYuJED7siacr3PkcKi600YR-MHgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_0460.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wof9IreQ-UM/XaHGmM20ARI/AAAAAAAACW0/8KHO-RvYuJED7siacr3PkcKi600YR-MHgCEwYBhgL/s400/IMG_0460.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Big turnout for one of our tagging demos.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>We also work with school groups; naturalists Anya Held and <br />Brendan Schaffer are shown here teaching a class.</i></td></tr>
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<br />Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-67047522174767459242019-10-10T08:10:00.005-04:002019-10-10T08:10:54.640-04:00Thursday update 10/10/19It's been a very slow week for monarchs. A storm developed out in the Atlantic, and while it didn't bring much rain to Cape May, we've had several days with strong winds out of the east and northeast. We don't expect to see many monarchs under those conditions, and indeed it was tough to find any monarchs.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Seaside goldenrod is blooming; where are the monarchs?</i></td></tr>
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We had a lot of east winds in 2018, and while many areas saw excellent numbers of southbound monarchs, the Cape May totals were below our long term average. This might be happening again in 2019, but there's still a chance that we will see big numbers during October's last three weeks.<br />
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Thursday's forecast is for north winds from 10 to 20 miles an hour, which should certainly bring us at least a modest increase in monarch numbers. The forecast for the following few days is very favorable for the migration of monarchs - north winds on Friday, northwest on Saturday, and north-northwest on Sunday. Will these winds bring a lot of monarchs or just a few? We don't know, but our fingers are crossed!<br />
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Conditions look great for NJ Audubon's third annual Monarch Festival, which will be held from 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday, October 13. Details here: <a href="https://njaudubon.org/event/monarch-migration-festival-2/">https://njaudubon.org/event/monarch-migration-festival-2/</a><br />
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<br />Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-74598548553737225042019-10-05T13:09:00.002-04:002019-10-05T13:09:59.459-04:00Saturday update 10/5/19<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(28, 30, 33); color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The temperature dropped into the upper 40s Friday night, yet many of the monarchs that moved into Cape May Point yesterday were still up early on Saturday, leaving their roosts before 8:00. Moderate NE winds were ideal for crossing Delaware Bay, and many of them headed out over the water to continue their migrations. There's a chance that more will arrive on Saturday afternoon, but as of late morning, monarch numbers had declined dramatically from Friday's peak. We are still seeing reports of many monarchs to our north, so we know there's a lot of the migration yet to come.</span><br />
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Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3636593750284203961.post-70314148207213172192019-10-04T16:54:00.003-04:002019-10-04T16:54:50.985-04:00Friday afternoon - numbers increasing<br />
Monarch numbers have increased significantly at Cape May Point this afternoon -- big numbers were seen flying down the beach between about 1:00 and 4:00 this afternoon. It did not seem that many were leaving the Point and heading to Delaware, so we think some sizable overnight roosts may be forming. Our team is currently searching around the Point to see if we can find where the monarchs are settling in for the night. Monarch numbers should be high again tomorrow morning, but northeast winds are predicted, which the monarchs might use to leave Cape May and fly over the Bay to Delaware. We'll be out there watching!Mark S. Garlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17577001768032136643noreply@blogger.com0