My first year tagging website

[JulieW]

Had a lot of fun tagging last year, but no recoveries as of yet.

Here's the website we created.

http://juliewhittemore.home.comcast.net/

Julie

[Jim]

Nice photos Julie - and a perfectly tagged monarch to boot!

[monarchrose]

Julie, your site is lovely. The field notes section is also very well done, and I like the note paper wallpaper!

[monarchlady]

Thanks for sharing your journal. I have been raising monarchs for several years now (last year released 37), but I have not yet tagged. So afraid I might injure a wing. Maybe next year. I know they are so passive and vulnerable for about a four hour window.

[ButterflyLady_IL]

Julie, I really enjoyed your site-photos and the field notes.
The questions now is--- Did you have success this season raising more Monarchs and tagging again?
I have been tagging since 1997 and only had five recovered... all last year at El Rosario. (1 reared and 4 wild )
It remains addictive to me and my family, I now have four young grandchildren on the lookout for caterpillars and adults each fall.
My personal goal is a Monarch garden for 2005.... plenty of milkweed and nectar for all.

[JulieW]

I really tried to tag monarchs this year but had very little success. My final count was 16, far short of my 119 from last year. However, I did find some places where I was told they usually have lots of monarchs so expect more success in future years. It certainly is addicting. We spent quite a few days out looking for them and only tagged one or two a day, if that. I found eight caterpillars on a patch of milkweed in early September and thought, finally! Of the eight, only four hatched out and were released. One died as a caterpillar, one died pupating, I had never seen that before, he never split except his head and you could see the green. Three more crysallises turned brown. There is always next year!
Julie

[ButterflyLady_IL]

So sorry to hear this season wasn't as good for you.
Part of that is the nature of the passion of watching nature.
In 2003, I caught over 100 adults in a shaded, sheltered back yard where large mature trees gave them shelter from the wind. All in two afternoons. We never saw a big group- just 2-4 flying in at a time. While I raised only 65.
This year, 2004, I was able to raise over 160, and only found 28 wild.
I learn more each season. Keeping everyone clean and not crowded makes a difference, as does finding eggs and 1st or 2nd instars (very small caterpillars).
I have had more deaths with bigger caterpillars some years. This year I only lost 5 caterpillars... and had 3 deformed butterflies.
Each season is different...so different.
Keep up the good work.

[JulieW]

This has been a much better year in New England for the monarchs. My 125th monarch (and last I have a tag for) hatched this afternoon. He will probably be released on Friday (9/30) since we are predicted rain and high winds tomorrow.

I did something different this year and captured two females on August 13th and put them in a screen tent with milkweed. Within two hours, I had around 70 eggs. It was amazing to watch them fly, stop and lay an egg, fly another minute, stop and lay another egg. I let the females go after less then two hours, I was getting overrun with eggs. They sure kept me busy for the next two weeks. These monarchs hatched and were released between September 10-13, ended up with 57 monarchs. We also found some other cats and tagged some wild ones in various places in Maine, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

I even had a recovery last year (the year I tagged only 16!) but he was found in the same town and the same day I tagged him, in Waterford, Connecticut at Harkness State Park. I located the person who found him through the Connecticut Butterfly Association. He was found nectaring in the gardens at the park about 100 yards from where I tagged him. We went back there this year and tagged 22 more, in between the poison ivy, thorns and one painful bee sting. But it was all worth it! The day I tagged him, he was the only one we saw. Not much of a recovery but I made the list!

I will be very sad when I let this last one go. I dream about finding monarchs all year long! Hope one of mine makes it to Mexico this year!
Julie

[ama]

Hi JulieW,

I enjoyed the pictures and notes on your website. Being new to this monarch watch and rearing concept I was wondering whats going on with you now.

ama

[JulieW]

Sorry it has taken me a year and a half to answer your question. It has been a long year for me, but things are finally looking better.

In 1996 I was diagnosed with a melanoma on my left ankle. I had it removed, it wasn't too deep, but there was a definite change of life. Hats, sunscreen, avoiding the sun at midday, that sort of thing. I had never been one to bake in the sun, but being blond, always burned if I was out on some activity. That all changed in 1996.

In December 2005 I had a biopsy of a swollen lymph node in my left groin which was diagnosed as metastatic melanoma, originating from the original melanoma I had 9 1/2 years earlier. Early January 2006 I had a lymph node dissection and underwent Interferon treatments. Those are tough, let me tell you. But I still managed to tag 150 monarchs in 2006, with the help of my husband. Somehow I seemed to get the energy when I saw those little orange and black babies go by. It was an extremely good year here in New England for the monarchs, they were everywhere. I could easily have tagged many more if I had had the energy. I finished my Interferon on 9/1/06 and so far am cancerfree.

So I am anxiously awaiting to see if any of my babies were found from the previous years, and dreaming about the coming year. Hope they come back strong this year because I will be ready for them. This is going to be a better year!
Julie
Springfield, MA

[Don Spearance]

Hi Julie!
Enjoyed your recent posting and website on Monarch Watch! Just wondering where you are located. Not often that I find something that is very local on Monarch Watch, but you must live around me because you have been finding caterpillars all around me. I live in Sunderland and teach in Ashfield. It was a fabulous year for Monarchs in this area. We raised and tagged over 200 in my class. I was very fortunate to go on an exchange to Mexico City last month and we took a trip to the El Rosario reserve. It was my second trip there and just an amazingly spiritual place.
Well, just thought I would say hi.
Don Spearance