Welcome to my world of birds!

Welcome to my world of birds!

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Hello, my name is Sherie. Thank you for visiting my blog about my encounters with birds. I decided to blog about birds to share my passion, dedication and experiences with birds. I want to present a plethora of birds to inspire you to appreciate birds for the beauty they bring to the world.
I submitted my first official eBird Checklist in February 2016. I have been hooked ever since. At this point I have birded in twenty-one states and six countries. My favorite place to bird is in my own yard while sitting on my T-house with a hot cup of tea and my binoculars.
I love talking “birds” with anyone who will listen and most are interested since birds are everywhere in the world. Most people have some kind of experience with a bird. It might be as simple as seeing them in the backyard or seeing them on an organized bird walk or bird tour in some exotic country.
I want to get people excited about birds and help them pursue their curiosity about them. I also feel strongly about the conservation of birds and so I am involved in many conservation projects and efforts that help them out. My blog will focus on birds with a handful of conservation efforts and a sprinkle of butterflies that share the habitat with the birds.

Return of the Monarchs

I observed the first monarch butterflies in my pollinator garden in September. These amazing butterflies are in the 4th generation called the “super generation” because they are migrating south to Mexico from northern US and south Canada. Once they arrive in Mexico, they will overwinter there and live about eight months. They are considered to be in reproductive diapause and will not reproduce until the following spring. While in Mexico, the adults will lay eggs, hatch into the caterpillar, pupate and then emerge as the adult butterfly. These monarch butterflies represent the 1st generation and will migrate to Texas and other southern states. They will go through the entire life cycle again and the 2nd generation butterflies will continue north. By the 3rd generation, they will have reached their northern destination where they will go through the life cycle again. The 4th generation (the super generation) will have to migrate all the way back to Mexico again. It is like a relay team handing off the baton to each generation.

During their journey, adult monarchs will be searching for various types of milkweed plants along the pathway. Monarch larvae, also known as caterpillars, will only eat milkweed plants which makes them the host plant. The adults will lay the eggs and nectar on the milkweed plant which is why the plant is so important. to their survival.

San Antonio Texas is on the migration pathway of monarch butterflies on their way to and from Mexico. San Antonio has been recognized as a Monarch Butterfly Champion City since 2015. The city provides monarch friendly habitats consisting of many milkweed stations along the way. These milkweed stations are very important for the monarchs to survive and complete their life cycle. Everyone can help the monarchs by planting various types of milkweed in their yard.

There will be a Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Festival on October 5th at Brackenridge Park next to the zoo entrance. It starts at 9:00 AM until 1:00 PM. There will be many vendors and booths educating the community about the butterflies and other pollinators. There will be hands-on, nature based experiences for children and adults. I will be at the Bexar Audubon booth promoting the importance of pollinators in the ecosystem.

Here is an article that summarizes the migration of the monarch butterfly:

http://nps.gov/subjects/pollinators/migratingmonarchs.htm

Male Monarch butterfly

hbabmamy

5 responses to “Return of the Monarchs”

  1. This is very informative, I learned a lot and will be at the October 5th pollinator event at Brackenridge. It’s good to learn about how to help the Monarchs in our own backyards.