Fall is such a welcome change of pace, in many ways, from the high heat of summer. We love the cooler mornings. We love the promise of more to come in the first few yellow leaves. And we love the Monarch butterflies.

Monarch butterflies begin and end the year in their wintering grounds, in places like the far southern tip of Florida and much of Mexico.
USFWS Midwest Region/Flickr
But each spring, they migrate north to feed and lay eggs.
Scot Nelson/Flickr
Monarchs start as medium-sized striped caterpillars, with their colors already hinting at the flaming orange and black beauties they will become.
And then, via the help of a beautiful, be-jeweled chrysalis, they undergo a magical transformation from caterpillar to butterfly.
Linda Tanner/Flickr

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And then in the fall, once this process is complete, the newly minted flutterers make the long journey back south to their warm winter home.
Rafael Saldaña/Flickr
Here they are in Mexico, having completed their journey and reached a safe winter haven.
And it just so happens that many of them pass right through West Virginia on their way from north to south!
Beau Considine/Flickr
West Virginia lies right along a migratory path leading the butterflies from the northern Atlantic states down toward the border with Mexico.
In fact, although the Monarch sightings in West Virginia typically peak later in the fall, the first few have begun to pass through our area.
Beau Considine/Flickr
A resident of Morgantown, for example, spotted a cluster of 13 relaxing on Blazing Star and Mexican Sunflower plants as recently as last week!
So begin to keep an eye out for these beauties, and continue to watch for them all the way through October.
Bud/Flickr
They're a beautiful testament to the changing of the season and a reminder that much of life continues on as it always has, season upon season, for centuries.

Do you track the monarchs each fall? Do you ever see any passing through your yard?

To keep track of monarch sightings and learn more about their migration routes, you might enjoy perusing the information provided by Journey North here. You can even report your own observations to help your neighbors across the country keep an eye on their progress!

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