A tad off-topic but a new found interest to many birders are butterflies. A migration report on monarchs is showing the earliest and most widespread northward push in all this site's years of observations. This could be disastrous to the first generations as the majority of milkweeds haven't emerged. Those that have are full of eggs, but the caterpillars may not have enough plants to feed on. Hope is that temps. stay warm, however butterflies shouldn't have to rely on record highs for their survival. It's puzzling why the first warm push brings so many birds and monarchs. No, they can't predict weather. But when "normal" weather returns these creatures find themselves in dire straits. Most birds can handle it, but I recall a few years ago when the killdeer returned "on schedule" only to find soon after a bad cold spell. Many were found washed up on Lake Michigan's shoreline. And last year at Forest Beach (Ozaukee) many of us witnessed an incredible reverse migration of swallows, mostly barns. Makes one wonder why early migrants haven't evolved to the point that all this could be avoided. Obviously the rush to breed is quite strong. Cold spells in May seem to be the norm now. Bluebirders know what this does to first broods. How many unseen nests for other species are finding the same fate? Tom Schaefer Hartford Washington County#################### You received this email because you are subscribed to the Wisconsin Birding Network (Wisbirdn). To UNSUBSCRIBE or SUBSCRIBE, use the Wisbirdn web interface at: //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn. To set DIGEST or VACATION modes, use the Wisbirdn web interface at: //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn. Visit Wisbirdn ARCHIVES at: //www.freelists.org/archives/wisbirdn.