Mega Migration of Monarchs through the Mid-Atlantic Region

I have often thought about how I would like to visit the oyamel forests in Michoacan where Monarchs spend the winter before embarking on their return journey North.

Monarchs are a migratory butterfly, and witnessing their migration is considered an endangered phenomena. The reason being that the Monarchs migrate to endangererd high mountain habitats where it is cool and relatively moist with high elevations. Oyamel firs in that region serve as a blanket and umbrella during winter, protecting monarchs from extreme cold temperatures and precipitation. The encroachment of logging near overwintering sites and forest degradation from other causes may alter the microclimate there which may increase monarch mortality, which could potentially endanger Monarch migration. That is why people will gather and volunteer to tag Monarchs each year, to track the success of each migration.

In mid-October of 2021 I started noticing more Monarchs in my garden, which prompted me to look for more of them in the wild. I was seeing numerous Monarhs on the Eastern Shore and it was a magical experience. It’s always fun to capture photographic images of beautiful Monarchs when they migrate through. I felt very fortunate to find three Monarchs together on a limb. While watching Yellow-rumped Warblers in a shrub, another shrub came into focus and there were literally hundreds of Monarchs roosting. The experience was beautiful, and unforgetable. Here are some of the images I captured of that event, and more information about Monarchs in general. (Images are Copyright do not use without permission.)

The Monarch's Forest Ecosystem
Mexico's Oyamel Fir Forest

https://journeynorth.org/tm/monarch/SanctuaryFactsOyamel.html