In addition to counting migrating
raptors, we also count the Monarch Butterflies we see migrating past
the hawkwatch platform on their way to Mexico. If you visited the
platform this season, you probably heard volunteers shout “Monarch!”
throughout the day to alert Anna to migrating Monarch Butterflies
passing overhead.
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| A migrating Monarch Butterfly flying over the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch platform. Photo by Steve Thornhill. |
During late September and October, we
would often count 100 to 300 migrating Monarch Butterflies from the
hawkwatch platform in a single day. On several days, there were so many
Monarchs that Anna could not continue counting them because it would
have taken too much time away from counting migrating raptors. On a
few of those days, we estimate over 600 migrating Monarch Butterflies
passed the hawkwatch platform. The total number of migrating Monarch
Butterflies seen at the hawkwatch platform so far this year is over
5,000. That number is likely lower than the actual number of
Monarchs passing over the platform, since we only count the Monarchs
we notice while looking for migrating raptors.
Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory's
Monarch Biologist, Clay Buffkin, was busy tagging migrating Monarch
Butterflies from mid-September through the end of October. Clay had
a record year for the number of Monarchs tagged by CVWO's Monarch
Biologist. He tagged 1,485 migrating Monarch Butterflies! He
stopped tagging Monarchs only when he could no longer obtain
additional Monarch tags. On October 22nd, he tagged 174
Monarchs, his highest number of Monarchs tagged in a day this year.
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| Clay searching for migrating Monarch Butterflies to capture, tag, and release. Photo by Brian Taber. |
When he was not out in the field
capturing Monarchs, Clay also educated visitors and groups about
Monarch Butterflies and their migration to Mexico. While visitors observed him, he demonstrated the process used to tag
Monarchs and explained the data he collected from each Monarch he
tagged.
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| Clay in the butterfly garden next to the hawkwatch platform demonstrating how he captures Monarch Butterflies. Photo by Katie Garst. |
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| A Monarch Butterfly tagged at the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch being held by Katie for a picture. Photo by Bob Anderson. |
While searching for Monarchs to tag,
Clay was able to see some amazing Monarch Butterfly roosts as the
butterflies stopped migrating for the day and rested on vegetation
before nightfall. Clay took a video of one of those Monarch
Butterfly roosts, and it shows a spectacular group of Monarchs
preparing to roost for the night.
Clay
has completed his 2017 season at Kiptopeke, and we thank him for his effort that resulted in nearly 1,500 tagged Monarch Butterflies. As the weather turns cooler, fewer
Monarch Butterflies are being seen from the hawkwatch platform. Now, we must wait for several long months to see if any
of the Monarchs Clay tagged at Kiptopeke will be recovered in Mexico
in the spring.
-Katie
