Mexico’s monarch butterfly population jumps 64%, offering hope for at-risk species

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/20/mexico-monarch-butterfly-population-increases

#nature #wildlife #monarchbutterfly

Busy B's

Butterfly on BottleBrush, Bee Hovering nearby, Blue sky behind...

A busy photo, I suppose, too.

#Fenfotos #nature #photography #butterfly #MonarchButterfly #NaturePhotography #bottlebrush

Added to _Flickr_ "Nature" album, accessible (free):
https://flic.kr/aHsjHHQKce

#MonarchButterfly #migration #radio #Blu #BluMorphoTags

Today's update from Monarch Watch's Director is in the form of a blog post which somewhat recaps the reports she posted yesterday. #JourneyNorth is reporting that one of the sanctuaries in Mexico where monarchs received radio BluMorpho tags has completely broken camp, so the migration momentum continues to build. Link to the blog is in the comments section

journeynorth.org/news/more-mon…

#MonarchButterfly #Migration #radio #BluTags
There's been an update on one Monarch that broke camp early from Mexico's El Rosario overwintering site, and it has been logged about 30 miles north of the sanctuaries. The tag number is ROS012, and has not been reported since yesterday. A couple others have also broken camp, going northbound: CHI005 and CHI007, both from the Sierra Chincua sanctuary, heading northeast. You do need to use their specific app for you to be on the lookout for these broadcasting bugs, and it's free via App Store or where ever you get your apps.

Here's the report posted by U of KS Monarch Watch's new Director, Dr. Kristen Baum, who took over Monarch Watch operations when the legendary Chip Taylor retired...

Heads up, #MonarchButterfly watchers--the Monarchs in Mexico are getting restless, and they typically break camp during the last few days of February, moving up to Texas where the milkweeds are already sprouting.

What's new this year is radio tags (Blū+ tags, specifically) and there's a free app from Project Monarch Science you can find at the app store and use to check out if any flying near you have been tagged. World Wildlife Fund applied the tags while in Mexico (they also recover the Monarch Watch wing tags for the University of KS) and those tags will be prefaced by CHI, ROS, or MES and although they weren't explained, I suspect those prefixes designate which refuge area they were tagged in.

Responsible for Monarch radio tagging:
World Wildlife Fund – Mexico (WWF-MX), the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), Cape May Point Arts & Science Center (CMPASC), and Cellular Tracking Technologies (CTT). Information was via the University of Kansas' Monarch Watch listserve.