Herndon, VA

[Mona Miller]

A female laying eggs this morning. I've collected 3 so far. She is laying on very small plants of the common and swamp milkweeds.

[tessa]

I'm so glad you have eggs!! Thanks for tips on where they are laying their eggs. I normally would have tons of cats/eggs by now but have none and I don't live far from you. I will check the smaller plants this afternoon.

[Mona Miller]

There was a female laying again today. I netted a female and I am collecting eggs, if you need any let me know. I was wash eggs this morning--first time. I checked the female for OE and she was slightly infected. But, the eggs can be washed. It is a very careful process, but it can be done.

This is the video on washing eggs.
http://www.butterflyfunfacts.com/bleach ... h-eggs.php

[jturk3]

I'm in Centreville and don't have any yet either. I have tons of milkweed for them to eat. I had a first batch in early July, 7 in all, mostly females. I think this the pre migration lull. It should be over soon.
For the record, Milkweed is growing better than I've seen in years.

[Mona Miller]

I have eggs now if you need some. I ended up netting a female and collecting some eggs for a few days. Then I let her go and she stayed in my yard and continued to lay. I've been netting Monarchs and testing them for OE Project Monarch Health. I mark them with a dot so I can tell whether they have been tested. This year, I tried washing the eggs for OE. The female that I collected eggs from was slightly infected. All butterflies are being released back into the wild.

http://www.monarchparasites.org/
Project Monarch Health,
Click on "Testing for Parasites"

http://www.butterflyfunfacts.com/bleach ... h-eggs.php
Video on how to wash monarch eggs

Email me: runmede |at| gmail |dot| com If you would like some eggs, I have a lot. I think she laid over 100. I stopped counting there were so many. This offer is for VA only and for those who are local enough to pick up.

BTW, I'm going to be out on Sat. 8/4 counting butterflies for the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy in Waterford and Lovettsville areas from 9 AM - to probably 4 PM. I'm going to go to some incredible properties. One is a 1 1/2 acre native meadow that was designed by a landscaper.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 373&type=1
Recent tour by PW Wildflower Society

We'll be starting at a local elementary school and then going to Phillips Farm, which is 144 acres. There's a nice trail along Goose Creek. Incredible wildlife and wildflowers:
http://www.loudounwildlife.org/Great_Pl ... _Farm.html

http://www.loudounwildlife.org/Butterfly_Count.htm#form
Sign up here for the butterfly count. I can't promise that you'll be on my team. There are 8 teams covering all of Leesburg and areas to the WV line. But, if you tell them that you'd like to be I'm sure they'd try to accommodate. I had one person drop out due to family needing them that day.

[jturk3]

I am perplexed. I had eggs, cats and butterflies in mid July. I assume these were local non migrators. Just Aug 7 I found 6 late instar caterpillars in my yard. I collected 5 and they are in J position now. Are these late local non migrators or early migrators? I have tags so I think I will tag them anyway. I haven't seen any adults since July but they must be around. I've been keeping records for 15+ years and migration around here is early to mid September. I wonder if the weather is making it early this year.

[Mona Miller]

I would not tag until mid September. I see Monarchs and usually have caterpillars in September. Some years I have adults in early November, which I try to get them a ride further south in VA. VA Beach usually doesn't get heavy frost.

We get an influx of Monarchs from the mid west that come across the mountains and then head south in June.

http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/ ... .full.html
Monarch butterflies cross the Appalachians from the west to recolonize the east coast of North America
Monarchs don't just keep heading north, I participated in this study. I sent him 6 specimens from our area for analysis.

I'm doing a tagging program at Sky Meadow State Park on 9/15 (rain date 9/16) and maybe another one the next week for Runnymede Park in Herndon, VA.

Monarchs Rule at Sky Meadows State Park
Over 60 species of butterflies have been identified at Sky Meadow State Park, but the focus on Saturday, September 15, will be on Monarchs as they begin their 2,000-mile trip to central Mexico where they will stay for the winter. Sky Meadow State Park and the Washington Area Butterfly club invite people of all ages to explore the park for butterflies and to participate in the tagging of Monarchs for Monarch Watch, a program that promotes the education, conservation, and research of Monarch butterflies.

Tagging a Monarch is quite simple; even children can do it with basic instruction. The tag is a small, quarter-inch sticker that is placed in a specific spot on the Monarch's wing. It has a unique code on it, like a bird band, and information on how to report the tag recovery, in very small letters.

The day’s activities, presented by members of the Washington Area Butterfly Club, will start at 11:00 a.m. with a netting demonstration. Immediately following the demonstration, join our volunteer Master Naturalists for our monthly “Flutter By, Butterfly” walk. Hike the park’s lovely trails and look for butterflies of all varieties. If any Monarchs are netted on the walk, hikers will have an opportunity to tag them in the field. Some nets will be provided for the walk, but if you have your own, please bring it.

After the walk, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., stop by the exhibit tables for a tagging demonstration and exhibit of live butterflies, followed by games and activities from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. In the event of rain, an abbreviated program will be offered on Sunday, September 16. The rain-date program will consist of a netting demonstration, butterfly walk, and tagging from 1-3 PM. This program is free and no reservations are required. The regular weekend parking fee of $4.00 per car is required.

Come out and learn more about the tagging, what happens to the collected tags and about the flight and plight of Monarchs and other butterflies. The program will be educational and a great hands-on learning experience for the whole family. Bring binoculars and water and wear comfortable shoes. Additional information and directions to the park can be found at http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/sky.shtml.