Woods Country Cove

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Wonder Why ?

 

                     You have hardly seen any Monarch butterfly’s !

                                                  A report from  WWF

Monarchs & Climate Change

Climate change threatens to disrupt the monarch butterfly’s annual migration pattern by affecting weather conditions in both wintering grounds and summer breeding grounds. Colder, wetter winters could be lethal to these creatures and hotter, drier summers could shift suitable habitats north. WWF’s 2013 report from Mexico showed that the number of monarch butterflies wintering there was at its lowest in 20 years. The number is measured by the amount of forest they occupy, and in 2013 the number of butterfly acres decreased from approximately seven to three. Abnormal patterns of drought and rainfall in the U.S. and Canada breeding sites may have caused adult butterfly deaths and less plant food for caterpillars. Fewer butterflies up north mean fewer then migrate south to Mexico for the winter.

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Habitat Loss

Monarchs need mountain forests in Mexico for their winter habitat, however nearby human communities also rely on them and create pressure on forests through agriculture and tourism activities.

In the U.S., monarchs need places to reproduce and feed. However, herbicide use is decreasing the availability of their primary food source, the milkweed plant (Asclepias). 

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I took these photos last year in September at Hawks cliff just up the road from us and this year I have seen one Monarch !

I do hope mother nature and humans can work together and save this beautiful butterfly !

Country Gal

12 comments:

Jane and Chris said...

Our local authorities send out a notice each year telling people to kill milkweed plants. We tell them to get stuffed!
Monarchs are on the vulnerable species list...local authority obviously feels it has more power than the provincial/federal government.Politics IS stupid!
Jane x

Primitive Stars said...

Hello, I agree, hope Mother Nature saves these wonderful Butterfly's, beautiful pictures, Francine.

Patsy said...

We have seen very few butterfly's so for this summer but maybe they will come in August. We had no Monarchs last year.

黄清华 Wong Ching Wah said...

In Yellow is so beautiful !

Linda said...

I agree...we used to get throngs of them at the cottage...on the milkweed and hollyhocks...We are on their migration route there...I bet I could count on one hand how many we have seen this year...
I have also noticed...the lack of Blue Jays...I think the West Nile Virus may have something to do with that...
Very thought provoking post... Thanks...

Enjoy the long weekend...

Cheers!
Linda :o)

DeniseinVA said...

I am going to be sending for milkwood seeds as shown on the link that I saw on Michelle's Nature Notes. Great post!

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Haven't seen a single one here yet either, Elaine, but did see a Viceroy which is very similar.

Michelle said...

Sad to know that climate change affects so many wonderful things.

grammie g said...

Hi Elaine...It is sad, I have not seen any Monarch yet,and I have noticed that the milkweed that usually grows all around here is not blooming well!! They look like a disease has hit them!!
Butterfly count in general has been way down in my area!!
However today I saw a Black Swallowtail the first on I have ever seen here!!
Your butterfly shots are super, but the last years one certainly is amazing with so many of them!!

Have a good weekend
Grace

Gail said...

How very sad that people do not realize the tiniest change can make such a difference.

Your photos are awesome, as usual.

Sherry Sikstrom said...

that is sad news, I have only seen a few butterflies this year too, and not sure if I saw a monarch or not

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

Hi wouldn't it be tragic if these beautiful butterflies were lost. Great photos.