Monarch Migration as Metaphor

I am writing this from the Cape, but I have just returned from three weeks flitting my way south, visiting daughters along the way, then with my eldest daughter’s family, continuing south to visit a dear friend who lives on the panhandle in Florida, near Destin. Collectively we had three children with us, three and under, so we spent our time going to the beach, on river walks, to pumpkin patches and wherever we went, there were butterflies.

Mostly, there were Monarchs, on the flitting migration south and then west on to Central Mexico. I loved seeing so many for here on the Cape they seem far less abundant then they used to be. I couldn’t help relating to them too, for I had just “flitted” my way south, and soon must also head west. And if I seem to be taking forever to actually get to Texas, well, they allow themselves a good 130 days for the journey, so I am doing a fair job of keeping up with their schedule.

And isn’t it amazing, that a creature weighing 5 grams with a wingspan, at the most, of 4” would undertake a journey of some 2,000 miles! When they are just going with the flow, “hovering”, they average about 7mph, when they are actively flapping their wings, they attain about 11mph, with speed bursts of, hang on to your hats, 22mph! Yet on they flap. They also know how to take advantage of rising air masses, and somewhere I read or saw where they can get a free ride from the higher jet currents, which would have to be a handy thing.

I also read that prior to migration, they beef up on nectar, attaining a weight 6x their normal weight. And, get this, after flying for about 4 months, and covering upwards of 2,000 miles, they still have enough fat left to make it through a winter to be able to head north again in the spring! Now, all you dieters out there, is that not a bit depressing that you could fly continuously for 3 months or so and still have weight to spare! But of course, for the butterfly it means survival.

Also, if I understand this correctly, at least for the Monarchs ending up in the Sierra Madres, they didn’t go for the warmth and Margaritas.
It is very cool in the mountains and there they maintain a temperature that keeps them alive but slows down their metabolism to let that remaining fat take them through winter. Once spring arrives, they warm in the sun, mate and head north again. These migrating Monarchs will have a life span of 8 months or so, but then the usual cycle again of egg laying, larva, pupa and adult, all in 6- 8 weeks, kicks in and it will take at least three generations of Monarchs to make it all the way back to the Cape in summer again. Really, is there anything in nature that doesn’t amaze?

So, I continue my “flitting” process, although tomorrow, I too shall take advantage of the jet stream and jet my way out to Texas to finally look for a house. More than looking for a house, I seem to be looking for the elusive property that might have a tree in the yard, for there are Texas birds to be fed, and without trees their presence would seem unlikely. Seasonal whiplash continues. I have gone in and out of fall and summer at least three times now and it is all getting a bit disorienting. In fact though, I have only used up about 60 days, so if I stay on Monarch time, I still have months to go. And although I may still have a bit of a “Bottecelli belly” from Italy, I am happy to say I did not increase my weight six fold for the journey!