www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday August 30, 2006 - 3 PHOTOS BY BARRIE ERSKINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER KEEPING TRACK: Don Davis (left) of Monarch Watch, says Tannery Park in Oakville is a popular spot for Monarch butterflies due to the park's abundance of milkweed (centre). As a volunteer for Monarch Watch, Davis catches and tags (right) the butterflies to record their migration habits. Tannery Park popular spot for Monarch butterflies Continued from page 1 number is placed on the bottom of each Monarch's wing for the purpose of tracking migration. Davis lives in Toronto, but often comes to Oakville to tag because, he says, "the town does a great job of attracting Monarchs. "They really manage the parks and gardens. Not many towns or cities make that a priority, but they do a good job of it here." Tannery Park is an especially popular spot because it has a lot of milkweed, the only plants Monarchs lay eggs on, and a lot of nectar-rich Buddleia plants. "They need that nectar to build up their fat reserves for the long trip to Mexico," said Davis, adding Monarchs migrate to a small mountain region in Mexico called Michoacan. "For whatever reason, they all go there. That's the way it is. Scientists don't know why," he said. It could be because the area houses a lot of milkweed, he noted, and the weather conditions also have something to do with it. Good weather is the reason so many Monarchs are in Canada this summer. They've been found in all 10 Canadian provinces, and Davis says he hasn't seen this many since 1998. "Conditions for reproducing have been good, the trip from Mexico was clear sailing, it wasn't cold. There were also good weath- er conditions in the southern United States. They were able to make good headway in terms of reproducing and travelling." The trip usually takes a few months, depending on the weather. Davis has had calls from people in Mexico who found his tagged Monarchs just three months later. "It's kind of neat the stories you hear about people finding your Monarchs in Mexico," he said, smiling. "They travel such a long way. Monarchs have such a spectacular migration." They're now heading back along the north shore towards Mexico. Most Monarchs are on their way by the end of September, which is when tagging season ends. Davis, who holds the Guinness Book of World Records for longest Monarch migration from Presquile, Ontario to Mexico to Texas tags more than 1,000 every summer. "Never chase a Monarch," he said, after slowly sneaking up and swooping one into his net. A Canadian named Dr. Fred Urquhart founded the study of Monarch migration through the tagging method, which has led to the vast bank of information now known about the butterfly. "It's something we, as Canadians, should be proud of. It all started here," said Davis. "It's part of our culture, it's part of our lives." Don Davis is happy to field any questions about Monarch butterflies. He can be reached at donald_davis@yahoo.com. MISS T-IT? POS BEER EAR! RAY FO 1156 Speers Road · Oakville · Tel 905-337-0133 www.alesandmeads.com