Monarch Watch Forums

by **Jim** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 11:21 pm

Monarch sightings for the New England region of the United States (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) - 2004 to 2008.

by **JulieW** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 7:55 am

I saw my first monarch in Massachusetts today. I am so excited! We had been making regular trips to the fields that we found them in last year. Lots of milkweed this year but no caterpillars or monarchs until today. A nice male monarch landed and nectared right in front of us on the milkweed flowers. Shortly after that, I found my first caterpillar of the year. I brought him home to raise, then got thinking, at least a week until he hangs and another 10 days until he hatches. I will have my tags by then. Would it be too early to tag?

Julie

by **Jim** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 9:08 am

It looks like you'll have an adult sometime around the 15th of August and that is pretty early to be tagging in Massachusetts...in fact, the migration will probably have just barely started at the northernmost range.

Generally speaking, the peak of the migration should occur around the 13th of September based on your location (latitude):

http://www.monarchwatch.org/tagmig/peak.html

so you will want to concentrate your tagging efforts in early to mid-September.

Keep watching for those monarchs!

by **JulieW** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 7:23 pm

We went back over to the field and found two more caterpillars tonight. I just ordered the book to figure out the instars, so I'm not sure about that yet. All three we have found are at different stages. The first one is now probably about half grown. The second one just needs to plump out a bit and he will be ready to hang. The third one had just hatched and is so tiny I can barely tell it is a monarch caterpillar. I saw the tiny hole it made eating, which is how I found it. So all three had to be laid at different times which means there have been a few monarchs around out there!
Julie
Springfield, MA

by **Fran Ludwig** » Wed Aug 25, 2004 6:25 pm

I just got back from mid-coast Maine, where in most years I have no trouble finding monarch caterpillars and eggs. This year I only saw THREE adults in a month (8/16) and NO eggs or cats.

Back home in Lexington, Massachusetts, I have only seen one adult all summer (but usually it's late August before we see more than one at a time). We are very jealous of places where blizzards of monarchs visit.

Milkweed is in prime condition both in ME and MA

Fran Ludwig

by **JulieW** » Wed Aug 25, 2004 7:23 pm

I am having about the same results as you. We go to Maine, (Dexter area) although not on the coast, and live here in MA. I have found a few caterpillars this year, six in all, but certainly not the large amounts of last year. My parents in Pittston, ME, saw their first monarch this week, and they have found no caterpillars at all. I currently have one chrysalis and one 5th star, just found tonight. They are around but certainly not in large numbers like last year.
Julie

by **Kevin** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 9:15 am

Suprised to see a Monarch fly up near my window this morning, it headed off South high in the air.

Worcester MA

by **Chris** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 1:27 pm

I love in Hubbardston Massachusetts, and yesterday June 24th 2005 at 9 am, I saw at least 5 monarch butterflies. They were feeding off the clover flowers, and today I couldn't find any. I looked on the milkweeds for eggs, none. I was wondering if anyone knew when I could expect to find caterpillars if at all?

Thanks

by **Chris** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 8:33 am

Woops that's live in massachusetts

by **Bugsy** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 10:34 am

On July 13 & 14 my husband saw a monarch finally! I wasn't home to see it. But I did find some eggs! I found seven across the street from where I work, and another eight the next day along the edge of a parking lot! These are 2 of the most forlorn looking spots, but, there was milkweed and there were eggs!!!!

by **Chris** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 8:47 pm

We have found monarch caterpillars on our property, and have collected them. Lots of butterflies.

by **Bugsy** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 3:58 am

I have been seeing more monarchs now than I have all year! I have seen them in surrounding towns around here! This is a big improvement from the past few years!

by **Chris** » Thu Sep 29, 2005 9:52 pm

Same here!!

by **xingur** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 6:57 am

Jim wrote:Report monarch sightings for the New England region of the United States (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) here.

Was working on Gerrish Island, Kittery,Maine and observed apprx. 500 monarchs at Fort Foster State Park which is at the mouth of the Picataqua River at the Atlantic Ocean. They were mostly on the Rosa Rugosa bushes and seemed to be feeding.

by **Lisa Tellier** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 4:53 pm

I was down at Harkness Park in Waterford CT on Saturday, Nov. 5,2005 and saw 3 monarchs. Two were in good shape, one looked pretty worn. There was still some clover flowers in the grass that they were feeding from. Other butterflies were around too, but I couldn't identify them.

by **carolv90** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 7:48 am

the milkweeds are starting to bloom and a female was seen landing. I couldn't see any eggs but I'm new at this. Seems awfully early this year anyways. I'm in So. NH

by **Bugsy** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 11:42 am

I finally saw a monarch today!!!!!!!! I t was flitting around my yard, finally stopping on the swamp milkweed! It's a big beautiful female, bright colors, no tears, gorgeous!! Yesterday on my way home a big orange butterfly flew in front of my car, wasn't sure if it was a frittilary or monarch. Need to find a bumper sticker that says I BRAKE FOR BUTTERFLIES.

by **Bugsy** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 7:14 pm

Seeing more and more monarchs within the past week. LOTS of eggs and cats on the milkweed. I can't believe how many I'm finding compared to other years!Fantastic!!

by **carolv90** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 10:05 am

Seeing many males and females this year. Every sunny day. Much more than previous years!

by **Fran Ludwig** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 8:56 am

Counting eggs, and caterpillars, there are millions of monarchs in Damariscotta Maine this year. Almost every milkweed plant I've looked at has some (or had some) form of monarch on it. We have been coming to the same campground for 20 years and this is the most I've seen at this time of the summer.

I've heard that back home in Lexington, MA, there is a much higher than average population too.

Fran Ludwig

by **greggig** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 4:28 pm

Cheers from Quebec City area,

For the last 3 weeks I've seen many monarchs every day around here. I've never seen so many specimens before. Well, maybe, but I don't remember. So that's why I'm writing here, I wanted to check if it's the case further South. Any explanations? Here we had a very wet spring and then a hot and humid summer with occasional storms.

by **pwrile1** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 11:56 am

Hello,

I live on Cape Cod and was recently in VT, and for well over a month now in both places, have seen more Monarchs than I have ever seen this time of the year! They seem to be everywhere. One early morning about a month ago, with a southwest breeze, there was a steady stream of Monarch migrating along the beach. I've witnessed the southern migration previously, but never actually have seen a northward migration. It was very cool.

by **kabrouillette** » Tue Aug 15, 2006 8:54 pm

We've been tagging monarchs for years. We have seen the most eggs, cats and butterflies since we started. It looks to be a great tagging year!! We currently have about 20 in chrysalis and 20 caterpillars....we see monarchs in the yard every day. Very encouraging.

by **mommalepapillon** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 7:40 pm

I have seen a few Monarchs just in the past few weeks, however I hadn't been looking as I was busy with daughter's wedding!

Over the past two weeks, I have seen up to 20 cats in my milkweed garden... it also has clover, beebalm, barberry bush, correopsis, etc.. a regular little bit of everything...

I have 3 in J stage right now... a friend took 3 in various cat stages to raise at home with her 10 year old and I did find one dead hanging in the barberry bush, not far from one very alive hanging. So there is alot going on in Sutton!

This is the first year the milkweed has really been abundant so I am hoping for a better year next year.

Greatful for this forum and site..
thanks good luck all
Christine

by **Don Spearance** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:49 pm

Lots of monarchs all summer here in western Massachusetts. Also saw many on the Jersey shore in early August. Have found many cats and already raised and released a few dozen butterflies. Looking forward to getting together with my students next week when school starts and raising them at school. We raised, tagged and released over 100 last year.
Don

by **mommalepapillon** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 7:32 am

have over 20 chrysalis! The little sneaks are hanging on the lip under the siding on the house! Wonderful! I lost my first two to parasites, however I am hoping that many of the 20 "hanging"around my house are going to make it. Have seen 4 more cats feeding as well..
mommlepapillon

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by **mommabear** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 8:00 am

The last several days we have seen adults everyday, not many at each sighting, but they are here.

by **carolv90** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 9:06 am

Sunny day yesterday saw 5 monarchs enjoying the butterfly bush. i have never seen so many at one time! Great year for these guys. We do have a concern about spraying for EEE in our area, adult mosquito population . Seems like it is a taken that it will kill the good bugs,amphibians and fish, but an unknown that that it will take care of the EEE population!

by **moneys monarch** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 6:16 pm

I have 2 butterflies cooling off so I can bring them into school to show the kids. they would have been # 29 and 30 if I had any more tags.
The end of the bunch should be headed through hear in the next week. there was Hurricane ernesto that may have slowed them down. (I just make up theories like that hoping they don't stop visiting. me.

by **DLTbluefrog** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 12:29 pm

Hello all. I've seen at least 60-70 yeasterday Sept 26th and sighted est 60 in a 30 minute period today. Oh and I know 1 hit my side view mirror for sure on the highway 93 North bound...Monarch "was" south bound of course :shock:

.

Peace
David

by **mommalepapillon** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 3:11 pm

sorry for you DLT I too am seeing dozens at a time...

The last one eclosed from my yard while I was with the Cancer Society in DC last week... so my morning walk around is less exciting..

In the field behind our middle school I did see quite a few males and females "slurrping it up" before the flight....

take care

by **conkonya** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 5:22 pm

I have been amazed at the number of monarchs I have observed travelling
southbound on I-95in southwestern CT as I travel home each day. This was my best year ever of rearing and I was able to take in several cats as well as crysalises to share with school children in my library media center.
Our art teacher even participated in the journey north art project with some students. One kindergarten class came in to see me and were so excited because they had seen hundreds of monarchs crossing the playground one day in mid-September.This was confirmed by the gym teacher! On Columbus Day my husband and I were at our city beach along the Long Island Sound and monarchs were there by the hundreds.

by **Don Spearance** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 2:40 pm

We released our last few stragglers last week. I was at the Cape this weekend and saw a few monarchs that are still on their way.
Don

by **Don Spearance** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 7:28 pm

A student found a chrysalis on a hay bale in her barn about a week ago and brought it in to our class. To our surprise it hatched into a healthy Monarch. Too cold to release up here, so it is relaxing at Magic Wings which is a nearby commercial butterfly conservatory.
Don

by **Ravengal** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 5:17 pm

This past fall in New Hampshire and Maine was amazing. Fields were full of milkweed, which were crawling with larvae. It was not uncommon to find three or more larvae on a plant. I rescued 13 larvae from a small field that had just been cut. I searched through all of the tall cut stalks of milkweed and had quite the handful of caterpillars. I collected and raised larvae at home and in my classroom then tagged them prior to release. I tagged more monarchs this year, over 300, than in the previous 5 years of tagging. Most of these were wild caught butterflies, my sister and I would catch and tag them after work. As each field we used was hayed, I would search out a new one. The migration was so steady and heavy that it was never hard to find a new suitable place to net adults. When I went to the hardware store to get advice on mounting our schools new Monarch Waystation sign, several customers and employees had stories about Monarchs to share. One fellow went to his car to get photos to show us of many Monarch butterflies on the flowers in his garden. I showed all of these gentlemen some tags. An employee had seen a tagged Monarch; it was probably one I had tagged. By Columbus Day weekend we had finally had a frost. The only flowers available were chrysanthemums and the butterflies were all over them at a local country fair, even flying under tarps to get to the blooms. 2006 was the most incredible Monarch year I have ever seen. It was very exciting.

by **Bugsy** » Wed May 30, 2007 5:48 pm

I saw my first monarch of the season today!!!!!This is the earliest I've ever seen one! Let the fun begin!!!!!

by **10kzoomfz** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:12 pm

Hello folks,
I just registered for this forum. Live in SW NH aprox. 1300 foot elevation. Started checking milkweed last week. I'm gone all day at work so only get a chance for butterfly sightings at home after 5 PM. So far this season I have only seen a few Tiger Swallowtails, a couple of red-spotted purples, one Red Admiral, and a number of (I think-couldn't get close) Cabbage Whites.

I found one egg last night (6/25/2007) on a milkweed.

Have it home to raise. Last year - 2006 - raised a total 53 Monarchs. Lost 3 larva (1 to a parasite), and lost 1 pupa and 1 butterfly. A total of 48 were released. (Point of interest - I had at least 6 pupa take 4 to 5 weeks to produce a butterfly.)
OK, so that's some background and somewhat of an up-to-date progress report.

I have a rather curious question related to milkweed. Is there any mammal that might occasionally eat the plant?? Perhaps only a specific time in the plants growth or perhaps for medicinal reasons?? What are in my area are deer, bear, raccoon, porcupine, fox, skunk, fisher cat, woodchuck and beaver.

Why do I ask? In only 2 days some of the milkweed plants have leaves that have been severely eaten, and height of the leaves, a couple of trampled milkweed stalks and minimal disturbance of the grasses would indicate only deer, from that list. There are absolutely no signs of larva. Not even a single milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillar, of which there were hords of on these plants last year. And outside of a single spider there are as yet no signs of any larva predators or other typical insects one finds on milkweed. The plants buds are just beginning to bloom.
Similar circumstances last year got me thinking about this. Has anyone heard of such behavior or have any other theory on the somewhat mysterious consumption?

by **Bugsy** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 4:32 am

I don't have a clue as to the 'mysterious consumption', but I have noticed the absence of the usual milkweed 'community'. All the milkweed I stop to check out is pretty clean. I did find one egg that hatched before Father's Day. Found more eggs this past week. They all hatched two days ago. As to the other butterflies, I've been seeing more variety the past couple of weeks. The early ones that overwinter in N.E. were not the same numbers as last year. Maybe that warm weather we had in January had something to do with it?

by **neily42go** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 7:36 pm

I have not found one single egg or larva in my home area, Sunapee NH, but I was in Cambridge NH this weekend on Lake Umbagog and found 5 very mature larva.

In the Sunapee area, there is so much milkweed this year. More than I have ever seen in the past. Hope it will be a good Monarch season.[/img]

by **10kzoomfz** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:21 am

My New England area update. Does appear slow compared to other reports around the country.

Sunday 07/08/2007. Indoors have 1 cat in 3rd instar; 4 cats in 1st instar.
Outdoor observations: New Ipswich, NH - small group of 8 mw - 9 eggs (of initial 14 count with 2 eggs gone; 3 egg bases remain after hatch but no cats in sight.

Fitzwilliam, NH - saw my 1st Monarch of the season - small group of 7 mw - 5 eggs and 1 1st instar cat.
(3 eggs seen on 07/04/2007 disappeared.) Introduced a friend to the eggs and the cat using my macro lenses in-hand for viewing. She is enthusiastic and will watch over them.

Bernardston, MA - Sunday did a quick check of 6 mw in patch of over 75 plants (last year took 6 or 8 cats from this patch for home rearing). Saw no activity other than mw bugs and spiders. Quick check of another small roadside group of a dozen mw - no activity.

by **Bugsy** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 6:16 am

Here's my update. 1 chrysalis, 3 at top of cage, 11 1st instars, 4 2nd instars, 11 eggs, (probably more after I give my milkweed a really good look today). I had at least one monarch in my yard yesterday. Didn't see it, but she left some eggs!!!!! Don't see the ones at work, either, but there's cats and eggs always there! Too bad I gotta be inside doing the work thing! I'll be checking all the mw patches again this weekend. I'm very excited that FINALLY we're finding eggs and cats in the northeast!

by **neily42go** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:10 pm

Finally,
so my profile says I live in Sunapee NH but I also have a home in Groton MA. I have 4 plants in my yard and I found 9 eggs tonight. Woo Woo.

I checked several spots in Sunapee this weekend and still nothing.

Will keep everyone up to date

by **Farfallina** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:07 am

I just got up to Maine from Maryland and took my daughter to the mountain where we found our cats last year. We checked 3 different areas and didn't find a single cat. As we were about to leave, I found a small patch of milkweed and decided to check it too, just in case. Much to our delight, we found cat after cat, most in the 5th instar. We brought about a dozen home. One has already J hooked and we are expecting him to form his chrysalis this morning. I ordered my tags today and can't wait to get started!

by **mommalepapillon** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 10:43 am

Well I must have had monarchs as I see one very healthy cat munching away. I'll be on the lookout for more now that I've seen this one.
Thanks for all of hte good information here
Christine
Near Lake Sunapee in Sutton

neily42go wrote:Finally,
so my profile says I live in Sunapee NH but I also have a home in Groton MA. I have 4 plants in my yard and I found 9 eggs tonight. Woo Woo.

I checked several spots in Sunapee this weekend and still nothing.

Will keep everyone up to date

by **neily42go** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:26 pm

I now have 11 eggs. The first 9 look like they are ready to hatch, just started to turn dark.

Heading to Sunpee today so I'll check the big patch at the circle.

by **mommalepapillon** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 2:56 pm

neily42go wrote:I now have 11 eggs. The first 9 look like they are ready to hatch, just started to turn dark.

Heading to Sunpee today so I'll check the big patch at the circle.

I WAS CHECKING AROUND IN MY LITTLE GARDEN HERE AND FOUND 4 DIFFERENT STAGE CATS! AND THEN TWO MONARCHS SHOWED UP WANDERING HOPEFULLY LAYING THEIR EGGS ALL OVER THE MILKWEED!

AND A NEAT THING HAPPENED, I GOT A PICTURE OF A BUTTERFLY AND A CAT ON THE SAME LEAF!

HOPE THE CAT DOESN'T EAT THE EGG!

IF YOU ARE GOING TO SUNAPEE AGAIN, I LIVE JUST 10 MINUTES FROM THERE I'D LOVE TO SEE YOU THERE...
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND
CHRISTINE FROM SUTTON

by **Bugsy** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 2:14 pm

Great picture! Had the first butterfly emerge today!! There will be a few more this week!

by **mommalepapillon** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 4:24 pm

HERE ON THE MONARCH WATCH FAQ THEY HAVE A WAY FOR YOU TO TELL WHICH INSTAR ARE EATING... THAT MIGHT HELP YOU UNTIL YOU GET THE BOOK
TRENCHING, NOTCHING, ETC..
GOOD LUCK!
CHRIS
MOMMLEPAPILLON

JulieW wrote:We went back over to the field and found two more caterpillars tonight. I just ordered the book to figure out the instars, so I'm not sure about that yet. All three we have found are at different stages. The first one is now probably about half grown. The second one just needs to plump out a bit and he will be ready to hang. The third one had just hatched and is so tiny I can barely tell it is a monarch caterpillar. I saw the tiny hole it made eating, which is how I found it. So all three had to be laid at different times which means there have been a few monarchs around out there!
Julie
Springfield, MA

by **neily42go** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 4:24 pm

I found 2 cats in in their final stage on a milkweed patch close to my home in Sunapee. I then found 4 that probably emerged from their eggs this AM.

One of the butterflies that I brought back from Maine looks like it will probably emerge from it's Chrysalis tomorrow.

Can't wait.

~ ange

by **mommalepapillon** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 4:31 pm

THAT'S GREAT!
I DON'T BRING MINE INSIDE ... TO LAZY I GUESS

I DID GET THE CHANCE TO VIDEO AN EMERGENCE LAST YEAR.
BREATHTAKING!
CHRISTINE

neily42go wrote:I found 2 cats in in their final stage on a milkweed patch close to my home in Sunapee. I then found 4 that probably emerged from their eggs this AM.

One of the butterflies that I brought back from Maine looks like it will probably emerge from it's Chrysalis tomorrow.

Can't wait.

~ ange

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