They're Home!
Angangueo, Michoacan
(19 N, -100 W)

October 31, 2007
This news just in: Monarch butterflies have been sighted at the finish line of their long migration! We just received the e-mail below from Estela Romero, who is writing from Angangueo, Michoacan, Mexico (19.6 N, -100.3 W).

Angangueo is a small mountain town that's located in the heart of the monarch overwintering region. In most years, some 80% of the monarchs spend the winter in only two sanctuaries outside of Angangueo.

Watch for a full report on Friday, November 2nd.

Elizabeth Howard

Dear Journey North friends:
Yesterday evening (October 30th) I received a phone call to Mr. Germán Medina telling me that the first Monarchs have been seen overflying the Angangueo. They were on their way to "El Rosario", one of their final destinations, which is one of our main Sanctuaries. This was at the southern entrance of the town

This morning--and just in this moment (3:08 pm)--the first Monarchs appeared overflying Angangueo's downtown. There are not many, but I can see the first few.

And Mr. Germán Medina has told me that today he was at "El Cerrito", and there were about 60 (sixty) trees whose tops were totally covered by Monarchs, and lots of them were flying around.

Strangely, up until yesterday, they hadn't stopped at "El Cerrito" as they usually do every year. On the contrary, they were all flying in the direction they take when, in March, they are on their way back to you.

It is very surprising that, in only a couple of days, thousands of them are appearing all of a sudden!!!

María Estela Romero

Editor's Note: Also today, the first Monarchs appeared at the Sierra Chinuca sanctuary. See that report. >>

The Next Monarch Migration Update Will Be Posted on November 2, 2007.