This is not good news. Milkweed is barely coming into bloom.
Monarch butterflies are leaving Mexico and traveling north, as they always do. However, they’re coming a lot further north than they typically do in April. The first I heard about this was a text message from conservation photographer Michael Forsberg back on April 9. Mike said he had just photographed a monarch butterfly with faded wings in his Lincoln, Nebraska backyard. “Could this be from Mexico (seems too far north)? Or could this be a local new generation (seems to early)?” Yes, exactly.
Mike and I checked with some experts who all agreed that Mike’s butterfly had overwintered in Mexico and had flown all the way north to Nebraska. And yes, it was awfully far north for a monarch to be spotted at this time of year. Moreover, Mike wasn’t alone in his observation. According to Journey North’s website, there have been numerous 2017 sightings of monarchs much further north…
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