[wisb] Monarchs
- From: Thomas Schaefer <schaefertrees@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: wisbirdn <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2011 19:45:20 -0500
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####################
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