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Cottage Gardens

Monarch Butterflies - Fall Migration

12 years ago

I have been spotting them the past two weeks. Yesterday there were three feeding on the Blue Agastache flowers in my rose garden.

I believe they were all females. I did not see the tell-tale spots.

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There were also about 15 or more large bumblebees on the same plant and a few tiny butterflies as well.

From here on out, I will be on the lookout to see if they are roosting on my property somewhere. They roost in trees or bushes at night to rest. I will also be watching for more sightings in the garden and making notes.

It's an exciting time of year for me!

~Annie

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Comments (10)

Ginny McLean_Petite_Garden
12 years ago
They are just so beautiful! I've hardly seen a butterfly here all summer. :( A few little white ones but nothing like we used to have. Need more BF friendly flowers! Thanks for posting Annie! And keep us updated on the migration. :)
Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
12 years ago
Great pics!! Fall migration maps.
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Passioncrazy, Monarchs are the only butterfly that migrates each and every year. They are wired to migrate to Canada at this time of year. In the fall, they migrate back to Mexico, and it isn't the same generation of butterflies. They are incredible creatures: the ones making the trip to Canada have never been there same as the ones making the trek to Mexico have never been there either. There have been lots of experiments done to try to figure out how the butterflies know where to go (they go to the same overwintering spot in Mexico every year). I heard about one experiment about monarch butterflies that were migrating to Mexico from Kansas. They were flown by plane to Washington DC and released to see where they would end up. They initially flew as if from Kansas, but in a few days had altered their direction to end up in Mexico instead of Cuba! Mechelle
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Susan, There is no doubt you folks in the south are taking care of our yearly broods since they return to us every year. :O) This year has been spectacular! I have released around 67 so far and have another 12+ cats on the go right now. I am waiting to see if there will be more as sometimes the Monarchs lay eggs in early September here. I have noticed that they don't stay in the gardens as long these days as they did about a couple of weeks ago so they must be heading your way. Some were released and named by my nieces and nephews just this past week so make sure to say Hi! to Tommy, Beth, Emilie, Rafuse, Pierre, Rose Alma, Angele, and the rest of the gang!!
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This just emphasizes the importance of providing a variety of host and nectar plants for all the pollinators that will be available throughout the season, even the extreme early and late. I had been disappointed that my Mexican Sunflowers hadn't bloomed earlier, but now I'm glad they are blooming now. Martha
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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.
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ogrose_tx
12 years ago
I mixed up the overripe bananas, brown sugar and dark ale beer and spread it on tree trunks, have seen a few that look like yours. Yes, it is exciting this time of year, with all the goings on; birds are back in force.

Hope you will keep us posted on your migration!
kathi_mdgd
12 years ago
Those are beautiful Annie.I've been seeing more of them around here as well,usually on the butterfly bush and the dahlias.

There was a smaller BF on one of my potted impatients on friday,don't know what kind it was,but it let me water the plant and didn't even fly off.Of course i steered clear of where he/she was feeding,

Talked to my sister in Washingtonville N.Y. yesterday and she told me when she went out in her yard saturday,the deer had made an overnight visit and ate all her plants,and some of the deer were still up on the hill eating from the apple tree.She was very upset,as i would have been as well.

Kathi
oldgardener_2009
12 years ago
They are beautiful, and it is exciting!
Thyme2dig NH Zone 5
12 years ago
I've had a few coming through here over the last few days. I found it interesting this year with everything in bloom (agastache, zinnia, butterfly bush, asters, etc.) that the one plant I see them land on repeatedly is Verbena bonariensis. I didn't realize they would like it so much. I think it's definitely their first choice in my garden.
Annie
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks for visiting my post everyone.

"purpleinopps",
Thanks for the Link! I'm a contributor to the data there. ;)
We record and report Monarch (and Hummingbird) information there. For the Monarchs, it is "Sightings", "Roostings" and other data and give our location in decimal Latitude/Longitude.

There are volumes of information available there to peruse through. We are encouraging individuals and teachers in all levels of education to get involved in the project.
mnwsgal
12 years ago
One year in Iowa I saw a tree covered with roosting monarchs, an amazing and beautiful sight.

It's been cloudy and cool here for days, haven't seen any monarchs. They may all be gone from our area. Butterfly bushes, buddleia, and eupatorium Joe Pye weed are their favorites in my garden.
mantis__oh
12 years ago
They certainly like your agastache. I too find that the verbena bonariensis is a favorite; also, zinnias and, of course, the buddleia.
Annie
Original Author
12 years ago
Only saw one Monarch yesterday. The days are getting shorter now, and the nights are getting chilly, so most have moved on South to Mexico. The reports are coming in of sightings near the Mexican border.

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