Linda:

Interesting you should ask, as I saw several (2) Monarchs about two weeks ago visiting a rose of sharon and a jasmine shrub in my front yard. It must have been about 4:30 because I was walking to the road for mail. This was in Forest Park, OK, 73121 about 1 mile/1 1/4 mile east of the Canadian River. This is a sparse residential area (several acres to each house) and heavily wooded.

I remember noting its presence and remembering that someone here was keeping track of them in the spring.

Hi Linda,

I'll keep my eyes open. I think I usually see them (if I see them at all) during the first week in October, but since they are already in Kansas, I'll be watching every day from this point forward.

I have had a couple nectaring around the yard the last couple of weeks, mostly in a bed that has zinnias, yarrow, salvias and butterfly weed. That don't seem like they are heading south yet.

Y'all,

From what I remember from previous years, Linda usually comes back and tells us when they are near her, which tips me off to start watching the skies very carefully.

When you come back here to report, it helps Linda and the Journey North folks if you can provide facts like:

Did you observe directional flight? (When I see them they are usually going in a southwesterly direction.) Which direction were they headed, more or less. If they're nectaring, they might not be headed in the same direction or in any direction. When I see them nectaring, it seems random if I watch small groups or individuals, but if I watch the overall group, they are making southerly or southwesterly progress as they nectar. Of course, there is always ONE that is headed north as he or she nectars....clearly marching to the beat of a different drummer. I always try to remember to note the time of day.

They can fly really, really, really high, so don't just look at the ground level. Look for a faint 'cloud' of them flying overhead.

If you see them nectaring, it is important to mention that and if you know what kinds of plants they are nectaring on, that's helpful too.

If you see them roosting at night, or discover a roost early in the morning before they resume flight, be sure to mention that.

If you catch a major wave, try to quantify how many you're seeing...and the rate at which they are flying by....like, if you're seeing 2 per minute, 20 per minute, 200 per minute, or too many to estimate.

I love seeing the monarchs come through. Last year we saw them as they were coming down to roost in the woods for the night and then watched them 'take off' on their journey the next morning. It was pretty special. I don't get to see that every year.

Dawn

Thanks for the report, Spademillane.

Another thing is to watch for "fronts"- weather changes. If the wind blows hard from the south, they get held up as it is too difficult to fight the wind. When a front comes thru, and we have a nice northerly, then they are off sailing!

Dawn, I heard some news that the Monarchs are more in western Nebraska instead of Iowa, and unless we get some strong winds to blow this way, they may be more west of here in Elk City, Hobert, and Altus. Poooh!!! :( I hope that they're wrong. I don't know of anyone in those areas to get reports from.

Linda

Linda,

Uh oh. I hope they are wrong. If they are right, I hope the wind blows hard out of the north/northwest/west (whatever it takes) and blows them our way.

You might try doing a search for Windsurf Girl (Lynn) here on the forum. She hasn't posted in quite a while but she does live near Elk City so maybe if you can find her and send her an e-mail, she can keep an eye on the skies for you.

We also have some relatively new Oklhoma Forum members in SW Kansas (Jay, who posts as Elkwc) and the Oklahoma panhandle (Jan) who might be able to keep an eye on the skies around them.

Dawn

I saw several around here I think almost two weeks ago. Didn't even pay any attention to see if there were more. Saw about 15-20 around the flower bed by the front porch. Saw them the next morning and can't remember seeing them again. Know for sure I haven't seen any in the last few days. Would of been Elkhart,KS. Jay

Dawn, this low front that we are having is really throwing the Monarchs off. Sure reminds me of the mini "hurricaine" that we had here about 3 years ago. Slooooow moving. And, circling around to the NW.

Hello Jay. Thanks for responding. Keep your eyes open to the sky. Watch for fronts with the wind blowing from the north. They were seen in Plainville and Scott City on the 14th, and tend to move in a SW direction on their way to Mexico. Late afternoon they tend to come down to nectar, and seek out tall, mature trees to roost in, in clusters. If the weather is perfect the next day, after they warm their wings in the sun, by 9 a.m. they are off, high in the sky soaring on thermals.

Can you tell me approx. what date that you saw them, two weeks ago?

Here's Dawn's breathtaking 1st hand account last year.
http://www.learner.org/cgi-bin/jnorth/jn-query-byday?1222875272

Here is a link that might be useful: Journey North Map

I will look back through some posts as I think I mentioned it in a post or two. Hate to guess for sure. If there was some in Scott City on the 14th that is a lot later than I saw these. I did look today and didn't see any. Jay

Linda,

I am spoiled now and expect to have that experience every fall! It is upsetting to think I might not see them this year.

I've been watching that swirling storm system on the radar for days and can't say I blame the monarchs....I'd stay west to avoid it too.

Dawn

Darn! The winds in central and western Kansas have continued
to blow from the northeast in recent days and now
the southern edge of the fall migratory front has pushed
further southwest all the way to Dalhart, Texas!!! They are scratching their heads on this one. Never before has the large migratory mass gone as far west as they have, or gone as early as Sept 17th according to the big Monarch gerus.

Linda,

Thanks for the update.

I can't believe this is happening! I hope the people in west Texas are appreciating their rare gift.

The earliness is quite puzzling although I guess I can understand why they were avoiding that upper low system.

Maybe we'll catch a wave of late stragglers?

I hope so.

Dawn

Linda everyone I've talked too around here saw them about the time I did. Some saw several more than I did and haven't seen any for at least a week. So I feel they moved through here between the 9-11th. . I still haven't found the post I was looking for. But know it was 3-4 days before I found the latest worms which was Sunday and Monday. I've been looking every evening and morning and no more sightings. Jay

That's ok, Jay. I appreciate your efforts. Look at the current map. I feel that you may have ALOT more coming. Keep your eyes up to the skies, and watch for a front coming in.... You may be in for a site that willknock your socks off unless they've already gone thru.

Here is a link that might be useful: current Journey North Map

Just went out in the back yard to water flowers (4:15 PM) and saw monarchs flying around. They seemed to be roosting in the elm tree in the backyard. I checked other elms outside the yard and found more. I'm guessing between 50-100. We live about 12 mi So of Hooker Ok. I'm going to be gone for the weekend so will look again Monday for them.

Jan

Thanks so much for the information, Jan. I really do appreciate it.

Over here in extreme eastern Ok I have seen only two monarchs in the last month and they were nectaring. Very different from last year when I saw them high overhead. Maybe later I'll see more.

Mulberryknob, you may be noticing an increase in Monarchs this week as they are migrating.

Yesterday, between 3:30 p.m. and 4:15 p.m., I counted 15 Monarchs headed South about 35 ft. in the air. There was a light wind from the south, initially. The front came thru, and the wind changed directions to the north. I saw several twirl around to catch the thermal. Six fresh, large Monarchs were in my yard, but unable to tag as they decided to go with the wind. No roosts.

Today, Monarchs are making great headway across central Okla.!!! Between 3:30 and 3:45 p.m., I noticed 1-2 Monarchs flying south every 15 seconds! From 3:45 to 4:00 p.m., I counted 1 Monarch every 30 seconds. After 4:00, the Monarchs got fewer and fewer. But hey, I was thrilled to see them. The wind was supposed to have been gusting 15-30 from the north, but as it turned out the temps are 68 degrees, with light northerly winds, 10- 16. They may have been traveling all afternoon, after the rain this morning. I just wasn't able to observe.
There should be some by the Okla-Texas border this evening! Light NW wind is predicted for the next several days. Roost of 50+ noted in my trees!

Did you see any, Dawn?

Linda,

Oops, I didn't. I was in the kitchen chopping up peppers, having harvested way-y-y-y too many of them in the last week. I'll get out early tomorrow morning and see if I see any continuing on their morning journey.

Thanks for the heads up.

Dawn

Saw one in my yard here in Moore today!

Thanks for your report, Momfryhover.

I sure haven't seen as many Monarchs as I usually do.

Hi Linda, I'm in Grove,OK on Grand Lake. Today from 5 - 5:45 I spotted 10 flying roughly south. We have very light winds today and these were flying fairly low.

9/28 - 6-6:30 pm - Grove, OK (NE corner of OK) 53 moving in S/SW direction.

Please correct my previous post to direction of S/SW (my husband straightened me out on direction)

Thanks for your report, Kathi. Appreciate it! :)

Dawn, hundreds have been stalled out near Pauls Valley due to the wind. Keep an eye out when the wind changes to the north- Thurs. afternoon or Friday, if you happen to have have the time. Thanks! :)

Linda,

THANKS! I am so excited to hear that. I have been watching and seeing zilch, nada, nothing. Well, I've had a couple nectaring in the pasture and in the garden, but they are around every day and don't seem like they are 'traveling' yet. Today I did have one sunning itself on an okra leaf. It had its wings spread out and was soaking up the sun on a very chilly morning (overnight low of 44, was about 50 when I saw the monarch).

I assure you, come hell or high water, I'll watch for them Thursday or Friday. I know it is too much to hope for a repeat of last year, but maybe at least I'll see a few.

I'll keep you posted.

Dawn

I've been seeing one or two a day feeding on my yellow butterfly bush for over a week. I'm in Stillwater.

I saw several yesterday here in Moore.

There have been four Monarch butterflies grazing on my yellow butterfly bush here in Stillwater since I noon. By the way I'm also seeing lots of solid yellow butterflies that are smaller than the Monarchs, but still fairly large. Do you have any idea what kind they might be.

Momfryhover, how many is several??? 6? 10? 20???

Thanks for the report, Rosa. :) I've been seeing "clouds" of yellow Cloudless Sulphurs. Aren't they pretty? Do they look like these? See link.

Dawn,

The wind is sure holding them back today.
......Taking into account the Monarchs seen nectering, mainly on Sunflowers, and the ones seen flying ... when using 7x42 Zeiss,
I would estimate that there must have been between 500-1000 Monarchs within a 1/2 mile radius ...
using the most productive area as the center of the radius.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cloudless Sulphurs

Thanks Linda. The yellow butterflies we have been watching are indeed Cloudless Sulfurs. I read that the larvae feed on Cassia plants. I'll be watching my candle tree for larvae. I don't mind sharing a few leaves, but I was hoping to over-winter it in my sun room. Thanks again for the helpful information.

Linda,

What a lovely sighting for you!

The cold front is rolling through so I am watching.

I have the ever-present swallowtails and sulphurs, and quite a few other miscellanous, so am really hoping to see the monarchs.

Dawn

I've been wondering about this research and whether anyone has successfully employed RFID technology. Which university is sponsoring your research or which research group are you feeding your data into, Linda? I would like to find out more!

Robert

Two in Moore on Tues.

Dawn, oops! My error. This was a report from "Pauls Valley". Wish I had that many around this season. No such luck. :( But, last fall, the Pauls Valley Monarchs came to visit you. Don't know what a NW??? wind will do???

Hello Robert. Thanks for your interest. I am not for sure what RFID stands for??? Radar? I am only a naturalist, Monarch enthusiast, interested in promoting their survival,so I can't answer your question.

Journey North is a fantastic children-directed internet program that promotes the study of wildlife migration and seasonal changes. They follow the Monarch migration spring and fall, as well as robins, hummingbirds, etc.
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/

There are links to report sightings, as well as maps to follow the migration up to Canada in the spring, and following the migration to Mexico in the fall.
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/maps/Maps.html

They have been keeping records, and comparing records since 1997. Elizabeth Howard is the Director of Journey North. You can e-mail her at the website for further information.

Dr. Orley (Chip) Taylor with Monarch Watch is a Professor of Ecology at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. He has been following and studying the Monarchs for 17 years. Journey North freely shares their data with Dr. Taylor.
http://www.monarchwatch.org/ He can be reached at the Monarch Watch website.

Here is an article that goes more into detail about Journey North and Monarch Watch, and the plight of the Monarchs with habitat destruction.

Hope that helps some, Robert. And, once again, thanks for your interest!!! The Monarchs are such a beautiful butterfly with such a fascinating phenomen! They are the only butterfly that migrates all of the way to Canada, to have their children's children know where to migrate back in the fall to where they overwinter in Mexico.

There is not alot of Monarch data reporters in Okla., so I try to get info from this forum, OK Leps, and the OK Bird listserv to pass on the data of the whereabouts of Monarchs in Okla. in the spring and fall. I work full time, so I try to do alot of networking. This fall has been unusual with the low that hung around for a long time, with easterly winds throwing the large majority of Monarchs into "western" Kansas, Okla., and Texas.

Here is a link that might be useful: Journey North/Monarch Watch

My information is from about 5 years ago.

RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification Device. It's composed of a coil of ultra-fine, flattened copper wire that vibrates when exposed to radio waves. The vibration creates an answering, reflected, wave of radio waves. Each device will vibrate at a particular (usually designed to be unique) frequency. This is the sort of device that is in your PikePass and is in the little plastic tags in expensive clothing or library books. As you pass through the exit doors on your store or library, those security things on either side of the door are constantly transmitting radio waves. If they hear an answering signal, then they go off, letting store personnel know that an active device is going out the door. Or in the case of PikePass, you drive under a device that does the same thing - transmits radio waves at your car and hears the answering signal from your PikePass.

I have heard that they have now developed tags that will actively transmit a signal at all points in time, but I don't know how that's possible without incorporating a battery or energy source. Maybe they just reflect the ambient radio waves we have all around us (detecting them just like our car radios do).

RFID tags are flat and range from the size of the top of a pencil eraser to the size of a stamp. The larger the tag (assuming they're all made to the same quality and density/coil structure), then the further away the answering signal from it can be read. Answering signals usually only have a range of a few feet.

RFID tags are helpful in commercial industry because they identify the object they're attached to without anyone needing to type it in or find and scan a barcode. All you need to do is get your scanner within a few feet and it will tell you you're there. So a stocker can walk down an aisle in a warehouse holding a scanner and keep walking at full speed until it beeps. Then he knows he's within a few feet of his item. It's much simpler than bar code scanning each item he walks by.

I've read that they now have warehouse management systems where the computer will tell you exactly where your item is without anyone having to walk anywhere.

I don't think this would be useful as a tag for butterflies, unless you have a problem with people misidentifying individual butterflies, or there's a need for exact identification of them. In any case, you'd still need people to collect the tags and send them in because they can't be sensed remotely. Even the advances I've heard about extend the range from a few feet to 20 or 30 feet. I believe the butterfly trackers now use little printed tags that tell people where to send the tag and siting information. So you'd have to have printing anyway. They probably include a unique number on the tag to identify the butterfly exactly. I don't think an RFID tag would help there.

Now, when and if they get some sort of GPS-like device that's the size of an RFID tag, that can be remotely sensed, then yeah, that would be a great boon to butterfly tracking. They're using GPS now in all semi trucks, a lot of cargo cartons and on some high-end cars for permanent asset tracking.

(If you didn't know, supply management is my career. Or at least it was until I got laid off.)

Linda,

I was watching for them last night and I have been watching for them today, but haven't seen anything. I'm worried they'll swing west of us.

It is so cold at night--42 degrees here last night---that I think they need to get themselves moving pretty quickly.

Dawn

Linda:

This afternoon (Friday) as I sat in my chair under the oak tree as I do most evenings I saw another Monarch (a singleton) go overhead!

Thanks for the info on the data collection. I was wondering whether the data collectors were using schools--like the Globe program that collects weather data. It gets the kids involved and increases the number of reporters. I will check out the websites you mention.

A map of their migration that is constantly being updated would be the coolest thing!

GameBird:
Sorry about the layoff! The reason I asked about RFID technology is because (a) it doesn't need a source of electricity and (b) it can be so lightweight--perhaps a butterfly could still fly with one without it being too much of a burden? (I don't know!)

Again::saw a singleton this evening flying by the old oak tree and heading south. No flocks yet.

Hi Linda,

Last week while visiting Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area in SW Oklahoma, we observed hundreds (a thousand?) resting/roosting in the small Willow trees along one of the water canals just east of the new center.

Hackberry Flat is located a little SE of Fredrick, OK, in Tillman county. The time of the sighting was 5:38 pm.

We observed them for about 15 minutes while they swirled in the space around us and drifted into the willows to rest and roost.

I have added a few photos to my blog that you might enjoy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Some owls talk a lot, some are quieter.

Update: I forgot to mention the date of the Monarch sighting near Frederick in Tillman county.

It was Thursday, September 24th.

-Lela

Gamebird, thanks for the information. Dr. Taylor did an experiment earlier this spring with a radio frequency device. I will try to find the e-mail for you and Spademillane. I am sorry about your lay-off, also.

Spademilllane, enjoy the links.

That_Owl, ohhhhhh! Ohhhhh! Thank you sooo much. Just what I wanted to see and hear. Your pics are awesome! I will report your desirable info, even late will show where the large large numbers of Monarchs were roosting. May I have your permission to post your link to your awesome pics and story.?????? And, may I use one of your pics on my desktop of my laptop? I was just about to e-mail you back. Thanks for giving me the correct date. Thanks soo much for the report, and PLEASE keep me in mind next year if you happen upon any roosts.

Hi Linda,

Yes and Yes. Feel free to share the link to the blog. I'm happy for people to see and read it.

And yes, you may use one of the photos for your desktop...and thank you for asking first. ;-)

-Lela

Here is a link that might be useful: Some owls talk a lot, some are quieter.

Don't know if you want reports of singles or not, but we had one all over the zinnias for several days last week. I also still have one FAT cat on butterfly weed.

I have six caterpillars in various sizes on my parsley, but I'm pretty sure they're black swallowtails. I don't know what they do in this weather - overwinter in the soil or just die?

Linda, Sorry, I just saw this thread. I'm in Payne County.

September 27, I found one newly hatched Monarch, and four chrysalises (one empty), and two caterpillars. The day I found all of these, there were at least three monarchs in my garden. They love my big Zinnias.
I found all the chrysalises in my asparagus ferns or in some long bermuda that had come up in the asparagus.

One of the chrysalises turned black and did not hatch (after a couple of days of my checking morning and after school). The other two were successful. The unsuccessful one was on a long stretch of bermuda I had pulled and then found the chrysalis once it was on the brush pile, so I placed it in some other plants for support, so I wasn't all that surprised that it died. Another one that had that same experience, however, was successful. I'd draped it in the asparagus.

During that week there were Monarchs in the garden every day.

I had a "Snow on the Mountain" come up volunteer, so that is what I ascribe to my sudden monarch fest. I'll be sure and plant some milkweed of some kind next year.

Sorry, I had not been keeping up on this thread.

Thanks for the report, Ksokiegonnab.

Gamebird, if the caterpillars are on parsley, then they are indeed Black swallowtails. If they can continue to eat with this "cooler" weather that we are having, they will wander off, and find a sheltered area to make a chrysalis. They will overwinter as a chrysalis, and emerge on a warm day in the spring. Moths tend to burrow down into loose soil or debris, and make a cocoon, to emerge in the spring.

Betty, thanks for your exciting report of the Monarchs in your yard! Butterflies are very host specific on what they lay their eggs on. Monarchs only lay their eggs on milkweed. Snow on the Mountain is not in the milkweed family. Perhaps, there is milkweed in the alley or pasture nearby??? If you have parsley or fennel in your yard, the caterpillars may have been Black swallowtails.

The tropical milkweed is easy to obtain and grow. It is an excellent nectar source, as well as host plant for the Monarchs to lay their eggs on. You may be able to find some native mw growing in some fencelines or pastures, and find some with some interesting seedpods, tobring some seeds home for a native plant area.

As you increase your nectar and host plants in your garden, you will begin to find lots of butterflies seeking out your yard. Good luck with your garden, and thanks for your interest.

I'm glad to hear they won't just die. They're still out there and we don't have frost in the forecast for the next week, so maybe they'll make it.

I was just surprised to see a lone Monarch butterfly in my yard in Stillwater. I'm glad I didn't pull up the Pentas and salvia and trim the butterfly bush. I was expecting a freeze last night, but they are still blooming.

I have just seen in access of (40) Monarch this morning in
the area of NE Tulsa. All were traveling west/southwest on their annual
migration. Wind is very mild out of the southeast. Jerry

Monarchs and others are enjoying the flowers in Edmond.

Sighted 5 Monarchs at 1 pm on Sneeze weed and Mistflower at Waterloo and Broadway.

October 7 I saw a dozen or more in NE Edmond. Since then I've seen one or two each day I've been home and paying attention. Saw a few out at Drummond on 10/18