I found a tagged monarch!

[bobbie in Md]

Imagine my excitement when I took a picture of a beautiful monarch butterfly that had just landed on my lantana. I reviewed the picture and saw that this butterfly had a sticker on it! I did not know anything about a tagging program associated with butterflies. I thought all kinds of things about this butterfly and how it could have possibly gotten a sticker on its wing! Well, I called the number on the sticker and then the wheels started to turn and my research began. It's not a sticker, it's a tag. And I have the tag number. What do I do with it? And who do I notify? The tag number is: JBA 445. Someone please let me know. I am anxious to learn information about this little guy. I'm sure I could send the picture too!

[ohiomonarchmama]

Hi, Bobbie!
Well, it's not one of mine, but I saw your post and want to thank you for taking time to find out about the program and post...you did the right thing, and I believe it may end up on the database in the spring when they enter the other data. I was actually doing a search of the forum to see if any had been found yet this season, of course probably still in the US, but I believe some will reach Mexico very soon. You can track the migration on an interactive map at www.journeynorth.org which deals with all types of migrations, not just monarchs. You will learn so much! I had an experience similar to yours and ended up with a banded pigeon in my backyard that adopted us for a while. Turns out it was a racing pigeon whose owner was in NYC! Pretty interesting to find out about all of that, too. Thanks again for posting! Julie

[Jim]

To report a tag sighting please send an email message to the address on the tag or leave the requested information at the phone number provided.

We'll need your name, the tag code, the city, state, zip and date of the sighting. We won't be able to tell where the butterfly was tagged until we receive the datasheets from the person that tagged it.

REMINDER: all of you taggers, make copies of your datasheets and get those originals in as soon as possible so that we can process them - thanks!

As ohiomonarchmama mentioned, if the butterfly is reported further south or in Mexico we'll know later in the season or in the spring, when the records should be available in our recovery database online at

www.monarchwatch.org/tagmig/recoveries.htm

Stay tuned!

[Andrea]

Lucky bobbie!!! I keep looking...maybe one day.

[bobbie in Md]

Many thanks to all of you who sent me a response about the tagged monarch. I very much appreciated it. We have been so excited here at home to get some information, any information about this little butterfly. I have been checking back every single day. I did leave an email message as well as a phone message regarding all the details about finding the butterfly. I've told everyone who will listen to get on the monarchwatch.org site and look it over. So from what everyone says, I may not find out who/where/when this little fellow was released until possibly spring????? I don't know if we can hold out that long!?? LOL I do feel very, very lucky to have spotted and photographed this little gem. Definitely one in a million. Thanks again, Bobbie

[Jim]

So from what everyone says, I may not find out who/where/when this little fellow was released until possibly spring????? I don't know if we can hold out that long!?? LOL

Pssst...you didn't hear it from me, but the word on the street is that the tag you found was issued to a Monarch Watch tagger in Salem, CT. If the monarch was tagged there, it was headed WSW (239.0 degrees) and had traveled 285 miles when you photographed it.

Stay tuned for more details

[Sandwhy]

This is so cool. Awesome that you found the tagged butterfly - and this website!!!

Sandy