Linda - I'm in NE Norman out by Lake Thunderbird and we've been seeing a few scragglers for almost 2 weeks here. They mostly seem to be stopping by for a snack before they head off. In the last week, I've seen about 5 per evening out in the yard.

To make things more interesting for any "newbies", how about linking the map? I would...but I've gotta go watch one of those "season premiere's" for a show so I'm outta here! I'll check back in the morning and link it if no-one else has. It's really cool to monitor!

Paula

Thanks Paula for your report. I'll try to link the migration. I have Windows 7, and have not been able to figure out how to get a shortcut link for IE. So, I don't know if I can go to another webpage, and not lose this.

Still can't seem to get a shortcut, but see if this works.

Linda

Here is a link that might be useful: Journey North

Hi, Linda, good to hear from you. You must be very busy as I haven't seen you on the BFG this year. I'm still raising Monarchs, so the ones I am seeing are probably the ones I am releasing right now. But, they've been pretty consistent since the 1st of August. No large numbers to report......yet.

We've had a lot of problems raising them this year. But, the migrating numbers reported by Journey North are astounding. I am hoping we get a really big shew (as Ed Sullivan would say).

Susan

Hi Susan! Good to hear from you. Yes, I am pretty busy with work, and grandkids, but I still have a passion for the Monarchs and their migration. I just do what I can. I had been seeing a few new ones, as well as having the regulars since Aug., that keep laying eggs! The south winds had been holding the new ones back.

From the looks of the map, and the easterly winds that Kansas has had, I believe more of the larger numbers are going to be in western Ok again. Sigh..... The weather stations keep changing their predicted wind directions. So.... It's a wait and see. It may be more Tues or Wed before we start seeing them. I don't think they'll be moving much Sunday, with winds 20-30 mph from the NE!!!

Take care Susan. Congrats upon your new grandbaby!

Linda

Hi Linda!

I'm eagerly awaiting the migration this year and hoping it doesn't all go west of us for the second year in a row.

We've had lots of nectaring monarchs in August and September, but I haven't seen any that seem to be migrating yet.

I'll be watching both the Journey North map and this forum for updates on the monarch migration.

Dawn

Hi Dawn,

It drives me crazy! There is no figuring it out. It's just luck of the draw, just like gardening!!! It's fronts, northerly wind, and where they are at is where they will roost for the night.

Keep an eye out on the roost map. There are still some roosts in NE Kansas. And, watch the Sapulpa one. They could easily show up at your house!

It would be ideal to get a large roost, and then a nice south wind to keep them there a few days!

And watch the aviation wind map.

Good luck! :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Aviation wind map

Linda,
We had a cool front move in yesterday. I was out of town all day yesterday and hadn't noticed any till just now as I went outside at 12:15. Was out earlier and either missed them or they weren't here yet. I would say there is several hundred or more around my crap apple tree and some bushes in the front yard. I'm leaving but will watch this evening to see if they are around or have moved on. What a beautiful site. Many of the yellow sulphurs seem to have moved on now I have the the Monarch's. Sure they will be gone in a few days if not today with the cool weather and winds. I live in Elkhart, KS. Jay

Thanks Jay for your great report! Isn't it awesome to see such a sight??? I would appreciate it if you could get back with me and be more specific on "several hundred". Is that around 200?, 300?, 500? More? And, do let me know if they are still there this pm, or how many are left. We have a nice north breeze, but it is kinda chilly here, so I imagine that it is chilly there so they may stay until morning, as I believe it is supposed to be warmer tomorrow. The earlier large waves went into western Kansas, Okla., and Texas, Here is central Okla. we've had alot of Monarchs move thru, but only one by one, not any large waves.

Thanks again for your cool report!

Linda

Linda,
I've been outside unloading groceries and items I bought at an auction yesterday. I've been making a few fly with every trip back and forth. Many seem to be going over the crab apple fruit that has fell on the ground and some of the fruit I've walked on and crushed they seem to be around the most. I have several protected areas from the wind and seeing more in those areas. Can see a few flying around. Hard for me to guess. I would say on my 2 acres and I haven't walked it all 3-5 hundred and see some across the highway around a big tree row. Yes it is only 62 here. Yes I need to be going but have spent a little time just watching and admiring them. Hate to bother them but have to get from my vehicles to the house. When I would just stop and stay still I would have 10 or more within a few feet of me. I'm not sure what you call a wave. Last year and this year have been larger numbers at once than we usually see. For me anytime I see 1-3 hundred it is unusual. Jay

Jay, Lucky you. I am so jealous. Although we've had some big waves in the past, we had almost none last year and only onsies and twosies this year.

Linda, On Thurs., Fri. and Sat. evening of last week, between about 6 and 7:30 p.m. I saw small numbers of migrating monarchs. By small numbers, I'd say about 1 every 5 minutes during the time I was outside with slightly higher number....maybe 1 per minute from about 7 to 7:15 p.m. as they were coming down into the trees to roost before sunset. They all were headed southwest and flying slightly higher than treetop height until they began to descend into the trees. The temperatures on those evenings probably were in the 70s, and I'm six miles south and 1 mile west of Marietta in Love County.

No large waves have been seen here in our neighborhood and no big roosts. They seem to be roosting individually here and there, mostly in native pecan trees and post oaks.

Hoping for more....but not sure we'll see many more. They seem like they've mostly gone west of us again.

Today we have large numbers of Sooner fans migrating north on I-35 with their OU flags flying, but Journey North doesn't track their migration.

Dawn

Dawn being blessed with both the Monarchs and the Sulphurs in the same year in larger than normal numbers is a true blessing. Makes a person appreciate the true wonders God created. The first time I went out a bunch flew up. Haven't seen those numbers since. So not sure if many flew on and a few stayed or if they are around the property and I haven't seen them. Will be watching tonight. Those here now seem to either just resting or checking things out. Don't see any taking off. And there might of been more that roosted and took off although I didn't see any till around noon. As I got in after dark last night and wasn't out till after sunrise. Jay

The Monarchs went west of us last year and this year, so the folks in Western Kansas and Oklahoma have been blessed with their appearance two years in a row.

They are a beautiful sight to see, aren't they? I love the way they just seem to float on the air current, occasionally fluttering their wings to gain height and/or speed.

Linda, I still have 5 larvae, and of those, 3 are getting ready to pupate, and two are still feeding. They best be getting on with it here! Oh, there were 3 still on the Giant Milkweed, two of them pupated, and 1 was still feeding today, so I had a total of 8 left. Not many, but it seems kinda late for them. The Calotropis gigantea has fed a ton of them, going a very long way, and they all loved it, laying eggs on it and all. I was worried they might not, but they seemed to lay as much on it as the Tropical and A. physocarpa.

Susan

Haven't seen any in a couple of weeks here. I was seeing several per day up until mid Sept (ish).

That is "awesome", Jay! Talk about winning the lottery!!! Looks like the winds are going to be from the south for the next few days in Kansas and Okla., so you may have them for a while. Do keep me posted, as Journey North (or really Journey South)likes to have follow ups from large roosts. If we just had a nice NW wind, we could possibly get to enjoy them!

I wondered since I hadn't heard from you, Dawn, that large waves of Monarchs missed you also. Glad to hear that you did get to enjoy a few. I agree that they were mainly onesies and twosies that I saw moving. Love the part about the red ones migrating north!!! Ha!Ha!

Susan, glad to hear that the Monarchs found you. Sounds like you had good luck raising them this year. I guess that I don't know much about the Giant milkweed. Was it hard to grow? Did it bloom for you?

Glad that you got to enjoy the Monarchs, Joellen. Thanks for sharing.

Linda by about 4 they were all gone. Seemed like some moved on out after I stirred them up around noon unloading the pu. When I left here around 3 there were still several around. When I returned at 4:30 only saw a couple and by night fall didn't see any. So guess they moved on. With the south wind thought they might wait a few days. Will check tomorrow. Was a nice surprise to see as many as I did today. Guess I'd better reread some of Susan's post on what to plant for them if they are going to stop in every year. Jay

Saw 3 yesterday...but today...none. Saw one hummer yesterday which was the first in almost a week and today.. none again. They're saying we're 16 degrees below normal. Think that might mean the critters are smarter than the weathermen.

Paula

Jay, thanks again for your report. It must have warmed up enough for them to take off. If the weather's right, they don't stay in Dodge long. The roost that I observed one night, they were flying south 7:15 in the morning! I passed them on my way to the roost! They were all gone by the time I got there. I thought that they would have been out nectaring, before they left.

I don't know if this is as common in Kansas as it is in Okla., but google "Golden crownbeard". It is an annual yellow wildflower. In Okla., when the Monarchs are migrating, that is what I find them on in the wild. you may already have some around.

Yesterday, I only found about 5 Monarchs, but I saw "hundreds" of different kinds of Sulfurs nectaring on the crownbeard. They must be working their way around Okla. now.

Thanks so much Paula, for your report. The main wave is in Texas now. We'll still have some late bloomers show up.

Linda, Well, you know, the 'red ones' always migrate south this time of year no matter the weather and then they migrate back north a day or two later. This year they were migrating back north in-heavy numbers on Sunday afternoon and they all were smiling.

I missed seeing the large wave, but was just happy to see a few. Jay's the lucky one this year.

Paula, I think the critters are smarter and a better weather predicter than humans are sometimes.

I need to refill the hummingbird feeders. The nights are cold but we're supposed to be near 90 in a couple of days, so I bet we'll still have some hummers. I sure don't know how they stay warm at night though.

Dawn

Linda,
I only had one around last night when I got home. Think it is stragglers passing through. Saw another later and then by sundown didn't see any and none roosting in the trees they normally do. From what I've heard it was the north edge of town mainly that saw them in any numbers. So far I haven't heard of any sightings any larger than mine. So guessing they were moving on a SW track. Yes it did warm up nice mid Sunday afternoon. So probably why they took off. I will look at pictures of the wildflower. Jay

Has been just 1-2 the last 2 nights. Tonight when I got home there was around 15-20 close to the crap apple tree. They seem to like the fallen fruit. Will watch toward sunset and see if they roost or if they have left. Wasn't even looking for them till one came up from the fallen apples a foot in front of my face. They are so pretty and so elegant. Jay