Monarch Butterflies

 I was on Follet's Island this afternoon and observed large numbers of monarch butterflies that were feeding on the mist flowers in the sand dunes. This is the time of year that the monarchs from all over eastern and central North America are headed south to their wintering grounds in Mexico. The Rocky Mountains and the Gulf Coast form natural barriers that funnel the monarchs toward Mexico. They are headed to an area just west of Mexico City where they will gather in huge numbers in the mountain forest. This area is protected and referred to as the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. It is on my bucket list of places to see. The Texas coast sees some of the highest concentrations of migrating monarchs in October each year.  It is estimated that some of these butterflies travel 3000 miles in their journey. They will winter in the Biosphere Reserve area. They have an amazing life story. Those monarchs born in the last generation of the year are referred to as the migratory generation. They will fly for 1-2 months to get to the area of the Mexico Reserve, where they stay for about 4 months.  In the spring they will mate and start their travel north where they will lay eggs along the way in northern Mexico or southern United States. The migratory generation has a life span of about 9 months. All other generations only live about about 2 months.