Again, I hope all of you are well.
The past few days of birding I haven't seen many warblers. Is the warbler migration over? It could be but I hope it isn't. We need to get some good south winds to have another wave of warblers come to Wisconsin. I'm still in need of a couple more species to reach my goal of 30 warbler species.
Strong winds from the Southwest swept through the region and the first sightings of monarchs appeared in Utah this week! This is a major milestone as monarchs set up summer breeding camps and continue their journey to the northern stretches of the West. Local Citizen Scientists report this is the earliest sightings of monarchs in Utah in many years.
Warblers are still arriving. There are always a few that routinely arrive later than others. I'm sure some birders have seen over 30 species of warblers. I just reached 26 today with the addition of a Black-throated Blue Warbler, a Bay-breasted Warbler and a Cape May Warbler. If you've never seen them before Google each one and choose "images" when the choices come up. Then take a look at all the photographs. They are beautiful birds.
There was a surge of new monarch sightings this week in California and Arizona. Monarchs are now speeding through the region to their summer breeding grounds leaving a trail of eggs and larvae in their wake. Meanwhile, new milkweed is preparing the way, poking up in the northernmost states.
Spring is in the air but yesterday it snowed. Don't you just love the Wisconsin weather!
Monarchs sighted moving north and into higher elevations during unseasonably warmer temperatures in AZ and CA.
Tired of sitting around the house because of the pandemic? Now is the time to go out birding! There is an abundance of new birds to see and enjoy while practicing social and physical distancing.
Temperatures are heating up in California and Arizona and this week monarchs are expanding their range into the middle elevations of Arizona for the first time this Spring! Monarchs are still being reported along coastal California and the lower deserts of Arizona while milkweed is beginning to emerge in the northern regions of the West.
Again this week I hope that you are all healthy and spending a bit of your time out in nature as she reveals more of herself each day during the unfolding of spring. If you visit the Arboretum there are wild flowers blooming in Galistell and Wingra Woods such as Cutleaf Toothwort, Virginia Bluebell, Marsh Marigold, Bloodroot, Dutchman's Breeches, Twinleaf and Trout Lily. Oh, that's right, this is supposed to be a bird report.
Spring Migration Pause
