Preserving a Legacy
For 30 years, Journey North volunteers have heralded the arrivals and departures of migratory wildlife.
Loons, also known as divers in Europe, belong to the family Gaviidae. There are five extant species of loons:
Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata): The smallest and most widely distributed loon, it has a distinctive red throat patch during the breeding season. It breeds in the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia and winters along coastlines.
Arctic Loon (Gavia arctica): Also known as the Black-throated Loon, it has a black throat in its breeding plumage.
Greetings,
El Rosario Sanctuary
In El Rosario, the colony undergoes a graceful transformation, gradually descending from the La Virgencita area where it has resided throughout the season. Bright golden-brown clusters adorn the landscape, captivating onlookers with their exquisite and whimsical forms, illuminated by the sunlight. Mating activities are on the rise in El Rosario, with reports of potential triples involving two males and one female!
January
- Living in Flocks: Robins in winter are found from north to south. Some robins are basking in south Texas and Florida while others are enduring the hardships of the northern winter. Many robins are somewhere in between. As long as they can find fruits or berries, some may stay close to their summer areas even in fall and winter. Because they move in search of food, robins are not as faithful to their wintering grounds as most other songbirds. Winter robins wander in flocks.
Various robin species exhibit unique migration patterns. While some embark on extensive journeys, traversing continents and even oceans, others follow shorter routes. The timing of their migration is influenced by factors such as climate conditions and food availability.
Western Monarchs Update
Warming temperatures and fair skies helped increase the number of monarch sightings this week, especially in California. This is a trying time when many overwintering monarchs are reaching the end of their life but their offspring are often hidden as immatures – eggs, larvae, or pupae - on milkweed or nearby plants.
Published: 04/26/2023
Overlapping Generations
With May right around the corner, migratory activity will accelerate over the coming weeks. Journey North volunteers are reporting monarchs with old and faded wings as well as first generation, fresh-winged monarchs.
Nora in Alexandria, VA: "Faded coloring. In a field with common milkweed." (04/20/2023)
Mary in Hesston, KS: "Went to the plant sale at Dyck Arboretum and saw two weathered monarchs nectaring on the lilac bush." (04/20/2023)