A good year for monarch butterflies in Mexico

Just finished up a few days in the mountains around Angangeo, MX observing the overwintering grounds of the monarch butterflies. Numbers are up significantly this year as numbers are higher than they have been in the last decade or so.

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IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2eMH​tqx

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/SAYc​h1

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2eDE​axJ

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/SDoS​DC

An amazing sight.
That sure must have been some spectacular experience.
Thanks for posting.
Amazing photos

It's good to know monarchs are abundant in their winter quarters. They're scarce in California now; counts are way down, enough that entomologists worry about the fate of the species.

Good news and nice photos. That must be a thrill to see them in such high numbers. I had a good population on my East farm this year, harvested more milkweed seed for planting more habitat hoping to help the generations next year. Makes me wonder if any of them came from my place.

keep up the good work. people like you are the reason there are more. have you thought about tagging some? https://www.monarchwat​ch.org.

ya. California numbers are scary low.

the photos don't really do it justice.

drewhh wrote in post #18812925
the photos don't really do it justice.

The distant ones are almost black and white. I wondered why there was so little color.

The patch of milkweed in our yard attracted oleander aphids, which monarchs stay away from. It may even be the wrong milkweed species.

when they fly/open up is when the sun hits them and warms them. In some of those shots it was cloudy so we are looking at all the less colorful sides of their wings. on cold days the whole scene can be quite drab.

Good to know!! Great shots, thanks for posting. My niece and her class have decided to look for them among the milkweed (she has a lot in their field). They take them inside then release them once they are ready to fly. She herself did over 30 this last year.

No, I did not know about tagging. Thanks for the link. After reading for awhile I can say that I have a good amount of common milkweed and a few Butterfly milkweed on my farms. When I mow pastures I always try to avoid cutting any milkweed, esp. the Butterfly variety. Last year I noticed the stalks I had went around went unharmed by wildlife and cattle as well.

the caterpillars eating the milkweed is what makes the butterflies toxic. I'd imagine the plant is quite unpleasant to eat.

tell her to keep up the good work. That is part of the reason there are so many this year.