But some monarchs were also breeding in late fall in the deserts. Last week we learned about a tagged winter monarch that has been in Tucson, Arizona, more than 98 days. She was hungry and was hunting for nectar.” A Long Time “ One female butterfly around the house today! It’s my first sighting since fall. “ Observed first monarch of season!” Further south, Marcie saw a monarch in Carlsbad, California, on March 5. In northern California just north of San Francisco, Miranda spotted a monarch on March 2 in San Rafael. We’ll see this change in the coming weeks as monarchs expand their range. Most are still near coastal California and the lower deserts of Arizona. Monarch sightings were few in the West this week. Keep your camera ready for evidence of frayed monarchs to send in with your report. You’ll know they are remigrants – monarchs that overwintered along the coast - by their wings that often look faded and worn from their long life. This is the beginning of the spring migration and the perfect time to look for remigrants! Take time to be outside and see if you can capture the flitting movement of an old, worn female or male moving through the landscape on their movement north and eastward. Monarchs are stealthy yet determined in their search for freshly emerging milkweed across the California foothills to lay their eggs. By Gail Morris March 9, 2020 Looking for Monarchs
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