Comments on: finally, we’re tagging! http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/08/27/finally-were-tagging/ a place where nature, photography and writing meet Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:19:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: burning silo http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/08/27/finally-were-tagging/#comment-6016 Wed, 30 Aug 2006 01:32:34 +0000 http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/08/27/finally-were-tagging/#comment-6016 Laura - I finally figured out what was wrong when you tried to post. For some unknown reason, the Askimet message filter zapped your messages and pushed them into the delete folder. I've just moved this one back out but think I accidentally deleted another. I would be very curious to see where my Monarchs go when they leave here. I'm not sure what the usual pathway would be to the south, but I'm assuming they must travel over NY state and Pennsylvania, but after that, I can't guess. I hope at least one or two will be reported this year, but I guess the odds may be slim -- but then perhaps these little guys will be lucky and make it down south okay. Laura - I finally figured out what was wrong when you tried to post. For some unknown reason, the Askimet message filter zapped your messages and pushed them into the delete folder. I’ve just moved this one back out but think I accidentally deleted another.
I would be very curious to see where my Monarchs go when they leave here. I’m not sure what the usual pathway would be to the south, but I’m assuming they must travel over NY state and Pennsylvania, but after that, I can’t guess. I hope at least one or two will be reported this year, but I guess the odds may be slim — but then perhaps these little guys will be lucky and make it down south okay.

]]> by: Laura http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/08/27/finally-were-tagging/#comment-5985 Mon, 28 Aug 2006 20:09:35 +0000 http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/08/27/finally-were-tagging/#comment-5985 Thought I left a comment last night, but it seems to have vanished. They tag monarchs here in NJ at the Cape May Bird Observatory during the fall migration - maybe some of yours will come through here! Thought I left a comment last night, but it seems to have vanished.

They tag monarchs here in NJ at the Cape May Bird Observatory during the fall migration - maybe some of yours will come through here!

]]> by: burning silo http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/08/27/finally-were-tagging/#comment-5981 Mon, 28 Aug 2006 17:46:52 +0000 http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/08/27/finally-were-tagging/#comment-5981 Peter - Yes, you can look up your tags to see if anyone has reported your tagged butterflies. I will defintely report back if any of mine are found. As for being dedicated. Well, at the beginning, I didn't think it would be this much work, but it's okay -- it's been quite enjoyable (even if a little fussy), and it's actually quite neat to release these butterflies knowing that most of them probably never would have made it to be adults if not for the bit of work of raising the caterpillars. Peter - Yes, you can look up your tags to see if anyone has reported your tagged butterflies. I will defintely report back if any of mine are found.
As for being dedicated. Well, at the beginning, I didn’t think it would be this much work, but it’s okay — it’s been quite enjoyable (even if a little fussy), and it’s actually quite neat to release these butterflies knowing that most of them probably never would have made it to be adults if not for the bit of work of raising the caterpillars.

]]> by: Peter http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/08/27/finally-were-tagging/#comment-5977 Mon, 28 Aug 2006 17:26:39 +0000 http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/08/27/finally-were-tagging/#comment-5977 I see they have a tag lookup on the monarchwatch.org database, I hope you do let us know if you ever find out if one of your monarchs has been found. You are impressively dedicated, I'm not sure I'd have the attention span. I see they have a tag lookup on the monarchwatch.org database, I hope you do let us know if you ever find out if one of your monarchs has been found.

You are impressively dedicated, I’m not sure I’d have the attention span.

]]> by: burning silo http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/08/27/finally-were-tagging/#comment-5975 Mon, 28 Aug 2006 14:39:22 +0000 http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/08/27/finally-were-tagging/#comment-5975 Robin - I'm hoping that at least a few of these will be reported later this year. Apparently, there are stations where volunteers capture and check monarchs for tags during the southward migration. Aside from the monarch station volunteers, I guess that individuals frequently report butterflies if they find a tagged one -- seems a little like finding a message in a bottle. Once a tag has been reported, it is entered into the MonarchWatch database and sometime later in the year, I should be able to do searches for the butterflies that I tagged. Over about the past decade, about 11,000 butterflies have been reported. Someone I know tagged some a year or two ago and actually had 2 or 3 reported from locations in the south. I think the odds are probably not usually that good, but maybe these that I'm releasing will be lucky, will fly far, and eventually by reported by someone. It'll be kind of fun if that happens, but I'm not holding my breath. Robin - I’m hoping that at least a few of these will be reported later this year. Apparently, there are stations where volunteers capture and check monarchs for tags during the southward migration. Aside from the monarch station volunteers, I guess that individuals frequently report butterflies if they find a tagged one — seems a little like finding a message in a bottle.
Once a tag has been reported, it is entered into the MonarchWatch database and sometime later in the year, I should be able to do searches for the butterflies that I tagged. Over about the past decade, about 11,000 butterflies have been reported. Someone I know tagged some a year or two ago and actually had 2 or 3 reported from locations in the south. I think the odds are probably not usually that good, but maybe these that I’m releasing will be lucky, will fly far, and eventually by reported by someone. It’ll be kind of fun if that happens, but I’m not holding my breath.

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