Bloomfield Environmental Community

Here’s a note from Monarch Watch about the importance of citizen science and reporting our observations of monarch butterflies to Journey North.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DnHGpGiaj/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Spring is approaching, and monarch butterflies are beginning their spring migration from their overwintering sites. You can help track the journeys of these incredible travelers by reporting your observations this spring to Journey North. Every sighting you share - whether sightings of monarch butterflies, eggs, larvae, or even milkw**d plants - contributes to understanding monarch migration dynamics.

Learn more and submit your sightings at https://journeynorth.org/

📸 A note on this picture: This monarch butterfly on a young milkw**d plant was observed in the springtime around Monarch Watch in a prior year. Many of the monarch butterflies that migrate from their overwintering sites in spring will tend to look a lot more worn because they've spent many months migrating, overwintering, and journeying back north. They've had a long journey! Photo credit: Linda Kunkle Park.

𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘆𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻. 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀!

Fake spider webs used as outdoor Halloween decoration can be very dangerous for birds. The stretchy, synthetic fibers of these fake webs can easily trap birds, causing serious injury and even death.
This photo shows an American Robin that was caught in a fake web, but was fortunately discovered in time to be rescued and release without injury.

Even just being caught in a fake web can kill birds from the extreme stress of being trapped, since most birds are not strong enough to break free.

Birds often seek the shelter of trees and bushes to rest and hide, but when these are covered in fake webs they can turn into deadly traps. These fake webs can also trap and injure other wildlife.

We’re not saying you shouldn’t have fun with decorating for Halloween, but please don’t turn your yard into a death trap for birds! And to be clear, we’re talking about the fine, gauzy fake web material that looks like stretched-out cotton candy, not the kind made from thick, rope-like material with large gaps that look like the rope ladders on old-time sailing ships.

Please don’t make Halloween scary for our bird friends – skip the fake webs!

(𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵: 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘋𝘶𝘗𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘺, 𝘐𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘪𝘴)