Beginnings

On October 10th, 1982 I visited Cape May, New Jersey. Like scores of other birders before and since, I was there to witness the legendary hawk migration. I was not disappointed. My journal entry for the day includes the following:
 

". . . the Peregrines were truly impressive - overhead, at eye level, stooping, close in and far off . . . the accipiters filled the sky . . . our most spectacular birds were at Higbee Beach around the time the front passed through (where) there were Sharpies and Cooper's Hawks zipping through the coastal forest and up over the dunes, soaring, chasing, flapping and gliding."
 

On that day alone, the hawk watcher at Cape May Point recorded 62 Cooper's Hawks, 2,622 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 50 Peregrines, and 130 Merlin! It was not the birds, however, that began what has become an annual passion. The next line in my journal says:
 

"All day long we witnessed a phenomenal Monarch migration. The butterflies were as constant and continuous as the hawks."

During the ensuing 7 years I visited Cape May several times, always anticipating both the monarchs and the hawks. In the fall of 1990 I decided to spend 2 weeks in Cape May with the idea of planning a long-term research project on Monarch migration (what the heck - somebody has to do the work). I tried out several census methodologies at various places on Cape May Point. At Sunset Beach on September 27th in 8- one minute observation periods I counted 618 monarchs for an average of 77 monarchs per minute. The following day I counted over 1,000 monarchs streaming through Cape May Point State Park (CMPSP). Although there were plenty of monarchs, there were also many puzzles. One of my first discoveries, while counting Monarchs at CMPSP, was that the direction of the migratory flight seemed to reverse itself for no apparent reason. At one point a steady stream of Monarchs would be heading Southwest and then, within the space of 10 minutes, the whole flight would be going Northeast! When I returned home I puzzled over the data and even though there were more questions than answers, I was convinced Cape May would be an ideal site for my study. So . . . I wrote Lincoln Brower in December and we began discussions about setting up the project.

1991

After much preparation the Monarch Migration Association of North America (MMANA) came into being in early 1991. By the fall we had data sheets and methodologies ready for trial. Even more importantly we had the support of the Cape May Bird Observatory and its Director, Paul Kelinger as well as numerous individuals interested in monarch conservation. Our goals for the fall were to establish census routes and point counts in order to begin building a data base of monarch migration though Cape May. And WOW did we have monarch to count. 1991 turned out to be a banner year for monarchs along the Atlantic coast. With help from fellow researcher Greg Dodge we counted and we counted. The following table presents the data for our census route(s).

In addition to our census runs we did numerous point counts, counted monarchs at their evening roosts, experimented with color tagged monarchs to track their local movement, and even followed Monarchs out across Delaware Bay in a motor boat! To be honest, some things worked, some fizzled. But this was our year for field testing methods. It provided valuable insights into what was and what wasn't possible.

1992

By the fall of 1992 MMANA workers were better organized and ready to put in their first full season. Based on the previous years experience, we established a single, 5-mile census route running from Higbee Beach to the end of Alexander Ave. on Cape May Point (see graphic). The route would be run 3 times a day from September 1st. through October 31st. Monarchs were counted along the route by a single observer driving approximately 25 miles per hour. No stops were allowed to count specific concentrations of butterflies. Monarch totals, starting and elapsed times, and local weather conditions were recorded on each census. While we may have been better prepared, the Monarchs were engaged in a "no show." Actually, a severe winter kill at the Mexican over-wintering sites the previous February had resulted in very low numbers on the Northeastern breeding grounds. While it was instructive to document the correspondence in low numbers of summer residents and fall migrants, the census run seemed, at times, much longer than 5 miles. We kept busy, however, with various educational programs including several "Butterfly Walks and Monarch Talks" given at the CMPSP. Fortunately for us, the Monarch is one of those critters that just naturally draws a crowd. While not everone can warm up to a fall-plumaged Bay-breasted Warbler, it's hard to find a soul that isn't fascinated by Monarchs. And promise a tagging demonstration - "You're going to put a tag on that little thing and then expect it to fly to Mexico???" - and you need crowd control! MMANA workers also spread the word about Monarch conservation through interviews with The New York Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer. And we kept on counting . . . But in the end, our Newsletter summarized the season in its opening sentence - "The 1992 fall migration of monarchs along the East coast was, in a word, dismal."

1993

The 1993 season began on a several positive notes. Thanks to the continuing cooperation and support of Lincoln Brower, MMANA received a sizable grant from the The Wildlife Conservation Society (New York Zoological Society). Our affiliation with New Jersey Audubon Society was also strengthened as Louise Zemaitis, a CMBO staffer, joined MMANA as Research Assistant. Actually, Louise has helped with MMANA since its inception applying her talents as artist, tagger, and teacher. Another innovation for 1993 was our affiliation with Global Lab. Students from 6 schools in the U.S and Mexico participated in a pilot project focusing on the topic of animal migration. As part of their studies students were linked via e-mail with MMANA researchers in Cape May. Daily numbers from our census were relayed to students for interpretation and discussion. Vince Elia, another CMBO staffer, also joined the MMANA team and carried out a series of cross-Delaware Bay censuses. Using the Cape May to Lewes, Delaware ferry Vince confirmed that monarchs do indeed cross the Bay and sometimes in large numbers. On September 23 Vince recorded 134 Monarchs on his round trip census. MMANA workers also had time to tag nearly 1,000 Monarchs. Finally, we continued our all important census. Results are in the following chart.

1994

Monarch activity began early in 1994. Spring brought a handful of very early Monarch reports. In southern New Jersey Pat Sutton documented various sightings between April 11 and April 21 including 15 Monarchs seen in the Wildwood marshes on the 18th. Monarchs were also relatively numerous in the Northeast during the breeding season as reported on the summer Xerces/NABA Butterfly Counts. MMANA workers had good reason to anticipate a strong fall flight. And on September 19th we set a new record for a single day Monarchs count on our census runs. Three passes along the 5 mile route yielded 456 Monarchs! And we had begun to notice something special about September 19th. There seemed to be a fairly consistent peak of Monarch activity on this date in Cape May each fall. Because big Monarch flights are typically associated with the passage of cold fronts, weather plays a part in this timing but the September 19th "big day" appears to be fairly reliable.

The highlight for the season actually occurred in November - long after the Monarchs had passed through Cape May.On November 18th Ed Maas of Temple Texas found one of "our" tagged monarchs in his yard. This was our first long distance return! The Monarch had been tagged on September 19th by our tagging team which included Louise, Brad and Alec (Louise's sons and budding naturalists), and myself.

1995

MMANA continued to strengthen its program in 1995. With financial support from The Wildlife Conservation Society and CMBO, we began discussions with New Jersey Audubon Society with the goal of making our Monarch research and education efforts a permanent program under their auspices. Both Pete Dunne, Director of CMBO and Joan Walsh, CMBO Research Coordinator were involved. And we continued our "meat and potatoes" programs of censusing, tagging, and "Butterfly Walks and Monarch Talks." A serendipitous renaissance in butterflies and butterfly watching over the last several years had swelled the numbers of folks attending our programs. We were now hosting scores of interested adults and children. Monarch numbers for the season were relatively low, however, and although we had a slight push on the 18th of September, we waited in vain for the "big 19."

1996

This was to be a watershed year. Thanks to the efforts of Pete Dunne and the staff of CMBO, MMANA - henceforth to be called the Monarch Monitoring Project (MMP), officially joined the New Jersey Audubon Society. CMBO educational and administrative resources strengthen all of MMP's programs while giving the project a permanent homebase. An important initial move was CMBO's funding of a research intern position. And boy did we find an intern! Gayle Steffy, a veteran Monarch tagger from Lancaster Co., PA arrived on September 1st and stayed the season. Gayle's quiet manner and an early season dearth of Monarchs had some wondering just how she would do when the Monachs hit. Not to worry. When the first big wave rolled into Cape May on September 19th (there's that day again!) Gayle not only got excited, she got tagging. For the next 6 weeks it was hard to discern the blur of tags, nets, nimble fingers, and record sheets that was Gayle Steffy. When the dust settled Gayle had tagged over 5000 Monarchs including 501 Monarchs tagged on September 30th. All in all the 1996 Monarch season was a great success - a new beginning offering great promise for things to come.

1997

The 1997 fall monach migration was, in a word, spectacular! And once again NJAS/CMBO's Monarch Monitoring Project was in full swing. MMP researchers conducting the Sepetember-October daily census counted 5628 monarchs during 186 runs along the 5 mile route. A season total of 106 monarchs per hour of observation was the highest average since 1991. Elizabeth Hunter, MMP's intern, tagged over 4,000 monarchs including monarch # 104780 that, amazingly, was recaptured in the Bahama Islands. This ranks right up there with hen's teeth and dinosaur eggs on the rarity scale.

Those folks lucky enough to have been in the Cape May area on either September 19th or 26th were treated to a blizzard of monarchs. In fact, on the 26th, 652 monarchs were counted on the 3 census runs. This eclipsed all previous records for daily census run totals. Observers at the hawk watch, Higbees, Cape May Meadows, and even along the streets of downtown Cape May reported hundreds, even thousands of monarchs on both of these days.

1998

Early predictions for 1998 monarch migration were pessimistic. Several factors, including extremely dry conditions in the Mexican over-wintering grounds and a relatively wet early summer along with dry conditions during July and August in the monarchıs northeastern breeding range did not bode well. Early September seemed to realize these predictions as few monarchs were seen in Cape May. Although there was a small wave of monarchs on September 11th and 12th, we were to wait until the last week of the month for the next substantial and sustained flight. The action continued through early October but thereafter slowed to a trickle, interspersed with several mid-October pushes. Below average seasonal totals for our 3 times a day census runs reflect a rather thin season.

Tagging activities were definitely the highlight of the season. Larissa Smith, MMP's 1998 research intern, along with Louise Zemaitis, Michael O'Brien, and Dick Walton caught and tagged over 7,000 monarchs! All our worked paid off when 7 of our tagged monarchs were recovered in Mexico at the El Rosario site in Mexico. These are the first Mexican recoveries for the MMP and the first substantial indication that East coast monarchs do indeed winter at the Mexican wintering sites. Another exciting development this fall was Mark Garland's pilot project in Cape Charles, Virginia. Designed after the MMP, Garland evaluated the possibilities of another site for similar research. Concentrations of migrants were particularly heavy at Kiptopeke State Park and it was here that Mark recovered 4 monarchs tagged at Cape May Point.

1999

The 1999 MMP season was, in a word, fantastic! Louise Zemaitis directed operations and was ably assisted by MMP intern Meghan Walker. While the first two weeks of September seemed normal, the third week of the census saw the arrival of the leading edge of an avalanche of monarchs. The period from mid-September through mid-October 2000 shattered all previous records for sheer numbers of monarchs observed passing though Cape May. Chris Wood, CMBO's official Seawatch counter in Avalon counted 44,281 monarchs streaming by his observation point on October 1st. On October 2nd 2,836 monarchs were counted on the 3 census runs as an estimated quarter of a million monarchs moved through the area! Louise and Meghan, assisited by Michael O'Brien, Gayle Steffy, and Jim Dowdell were also busy with tagging activities. The team tagged a total of 5,384 monarchs during the fall season.As a result of these efforts 6 of our tagged monarchs were recovered in Mexico at the El Rosario site in Mexico. Monarch #182784, tagged and released by Meghan in Cape May at 1:00 PM on October 6 was recovered by Mark Garland on Fisherman's Island, VA the following day at 5:00 PM. The 2000 MMP season at Cape May established a number of bench marks for our project and we are looking forward to the new millenium.

2000

Following one of the more spectacular Monarch migrations in memory, the 2000 Monarch migration was a mere shadow of the movement seen through Cape May in 1999. The reasons for this change are unclear, but long term studies such as the Monarch Monitoring Project should provide some of the answers. MMP coordinator Louise Zemaitis and intern Jodi Paterno led the "Team Monarch" effort this year with notable assistance from Michael O'Brien and Gayle Steffy. Additional support was lent by Bonnie Smith, Jane Kashlak, and Renee Crouse. A total of 4,646 Monarchs were tagged by various members of the crew and to date recoveries have been reported from Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Mexico! A highlight for the season was Dr. Lincoln Brower's visit to Cape May. Dr. Brower has been a leading force in the MMP since it's inception in 1990. Besides participating in tagging and censusing activities, Lincoln gave 2 "standing room only" lectures to monarch enthusiasts who were lucky enough to be in the area during his visit.

"I think the saying goes - the brighter the flame, the quicker it burns. It is always most difficult when it's one of your own flames that no longer burns brightly. On February 9, 2001, Jodi Paterno, CMBO's 2000 Monarch Monitoring Project intern, died in an automobile accident near Eugene, Oregon. Jodi was a free-spirited young woman who had a boundless lust for life and a tremendous reverence for nature. We will always fondly remember Jodi running barefoot around Cape May Point, swinging her butterfly net. Although we didn't know her long, we all felt we knew her well. She touched everyone she met, and the memory of her vitality is kindled in all of us. " - David Mizrahi, Vice-president for Research, CMBO
 

2001

Led by the efforts of coordinator Louise Zemaitis and field technician Chris Kisiel, "Team Monarch" had a very successful 2001 season. Total numbers of Monarchs were up and this provided excellent opportunities for education and research. In all, 6,831 Monarchs were tagged and 5 of these were recaptured in Mexico. On our busiest days we were ably assisted by Michael O'Brien, Patsy Eickelberg, and LuAnn Tracy along with a bevy of other Monarch aficianados. Under the guidance of CMBO's David Mizrahi studies were initiated to assess the energetic condition of migrant Monarchs throughout the season. Thanks to funding from Bushnell sports Optics and Ann Louise Mapes through the Jodi Paterno Memorial Fund hundreds of Monarchs were captured, weighed & measured, and released. These data will be analyzed over time and should yield insights into the overall fitness of the migrants .

Perhaps the most significant recent chapter in the drama of the Monarch butterfly came from the Mexican over-wintering grounds. In mid-January two days of rain followed by a cold snap resulted in a massive Monarch kill. Professor Lincoln Brower, our chief research advisor, was in Mexico shortly after the event. Lincoln's research indicates that approximately 265 million Monarchs died at the Chincua (Zapatero) and Rosario (Conejos) colonies. This amounts to 75-80% of the overwintering Monarchs. Although the ultimate affect on Monarch populations is not yet known, such events are best evaluated by ongoing sampling research such as that conducted by the Monarch Monitoring Project at Cape May. Details of the January Monarch kill will be published by Brower, Garcia, Kurst, and Rendon in an upcoming volume.

2002

Although the ultimate impact of last winters massive kill (see summary above) on the Mexican over-wintering grounds was less dire than some had projected, the number of monarchs recorded on our Road Census this fall was below average (see table below). While monarch numbers were down MMP workers were as busy as ever during September and October. A total of 3,760 Monarchs were tagged by MMP coordinator Louise Zemaitis, MMP field technician Janine McCabe, and research assistants Michael O'Brien, Patsy Eickelberg, LuAnn Tracy, Mark Garland, and Bradley Smith. Additional field assistance was lent by Paige Cunningham, Chris Kisiel, Steve Rodan, Bill Schuhl, and Edie Schuhl. Tagging efforts have been well rewarded during the last several years as indicated by last year's recoveries (16 and still counting) from Mexico.

Chris Kisiel, our 2001 field technician, continued her work on monarchs as an assistant to Dr. Lincoln Brower. Chris' work included laboratory analysis of monarch biochemistry and a trip to Mexico where she helped in the evaluation of monarch mortality at the over-wintering sights. Go Chris!

2003

"The 2003 migration reminded us more than ever that the weather is always the greatest influence of what we see here in Cape May. The monarch flight serves as an excellent barometer. It started off with a nice burst of activity with an early September cold front, was hampered by two hurricanes and easterly winds through most of the month, and then went through a period of steady activity with successive cold fronts through the end of October." So wrote Louise Zemaitis in her summary of the 2003 season for the Peregrine Observer - The Journal of the Cape May Bird Observatory. Louise has worked for the MMP since its inception. Besides her perennial job as MMP coordinator Louise has also plied her talents as researcher, educator, artist, author and cheer leader. Much of our success is due to Louise's heroic efforts. Yea Louise!!

The Monarch Monitoring Project depends on dedicated workers and volunteers with a love of nature in general and a special place in their heart for the monarch butterfly. The 2003 team included Christine Austin - MMP field technician and research assistants Michael O'Brien, Patsy Eickelberg, LuAnn Tracy, Mark Garland, and Paige Cunningham. Additional field assistance was lent by Chris Kisiel, Tony Leukering, George Myers, and Bill and Edie Schuhl.

2004

The 2004 season was a portrait of both our hopes and our fears. After two below average seasons (2002 and 2003) Monarch researchers were hopeful that numbers of migrants would rebound and that once again Cape May would play host to multitudes of monarchs. Unfortunately, when the final census run was complete and the numbers were tallied, average numbers of monarchs observed per day set a record low for the history of our census (see table below). A paper (in press) by Walton, Brower, and Davis analizing the census shows that previous periods of one or two down years have always been followed by a rebound in monarch numbers. We now have data for a 3 year down turn in migrant populations and will be paying particularly close attention to monarch numbers in 2005.

On the brighter side Paige Cunningham, our seasonal field technician, hosted an ever increasing number of scheduled monarch demonstrations and improptu tagging sessions. Interest in Monarch butterflies has never been greater and Paige along with other members of Team Monarch talked with hundreds of adults and children about the lives of monarchs and the plight of the migratory generation. Lu Ann Daniels (pictured left), a perrenial MMP volunteer, conserves gas as she tags monarchs.

2005
 

The 2005 season was a "bounce back" season for the monarchs at Cape May. After several "down" years monarchs showed up in good numbers and kept us busy late into the season. Ordinarily our biggest pushes come in September and early October. This year the largest flights of the fall were on October 17, 18, and 19. The October 18th census runs averaged over 896 Monarchs per hour - our latest "big day" to date.

Each year Monarch Monitoring Project efforts are bolstered by the courtesy of several very special Cape May Point residents. Their landscaping efforts have resulted in gardens and shrubs that act as magnets to migrating monarchs. The monarchs benefit from these important nectar sources, using them to fuel-up for their epic migration. MMP staff and volunteers benefit too, as these special yards provide ideal places for us to conduct tagging activities. The property owners have invited us into their yards and gardens, often with a smile and a friendly wave. We appreciate the courtesy of these kind folks and want them to know that they play a very special part in the Monarch Monitoring Project.
 

We invite you to join CMBO and support the educational and research efforts of the Monarch Monitoring Project. 2006 should be an exciting season! Specific information about our talks and walks as well as Monarch tagging demonstrations is available from:

References

Gibbs, Denise, R. Walton, L. Brower and A. K. Davis. 2006. Monarch butterfly (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) migration monitoring at Chincoteague, Virginia and Cape May, New Jersey: a comparison of long-term trends. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 79(2):156-164.

Walton, R., L.P. Brower and A.K. Davis. 2005. Long-term monitoring and fall migration patterns of the monarch butterfly in Cape May, NJ. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 98(5): 682-689.

Walton, R. K. 1997. Monarch migration project, fall 1996. The Peregrine Observer 19: 31-32.

Walton, R. K. and L. P. Brower. 1996. Monitoring the fall migration of the monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus (Nymphalidae: Danainae) in eastern North America: 1991-1994. Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 50: 1-20.

Walton, R. K.1993. Tracking North American monarchs. Part I. The east. American Butterflies Vol.1, No.3: 11-16