Today's Report Includes:

• This Week's Migration Maps and Data
• News from the Migration Trail
• Stay Tuned: The Monarch Migration Continues!
• Year-End Evaluation: Please Share Your Thoughts!

Use today's data to make your own map, or print and analyze our map:

• Migration Map (and link to Real-time Map)
• Migration Data for Classroom Mapping
• Week-to-week Animation
• Year-to-year Animation (2005 vs. 2006)

What a week!

• The winds were finally right and the monarchs set sail. Seventy one sightings were reported--yet more monarchs keep appearing on the map while I write. For perspective, compare 71 to only 16 sightings the week before and 10 the week before that.

• Amazing action was noted in northern states of Minnesota and Wisconsin where jet stream patterns had kept cold conditions and north winds in place for days. "Seems like Tuesday was the biggest day," observed Journey North's Julie Brophy. Indeed, 8 monarchs were reported that single day and 17 over the course of the week!

• Songbird migration had been stalled by the same weather as Kevin Kearns documented beautifully in his "Radar and Songbird Migration" updates: News from the Night Sky: Radar and Songbird Migration

• Take note: the northernmost monarch has now made it to latitude 48 North, based on a report from Rugby, North Dakota.

• In contrast, the migration's leading edge lags behind in the East. The award for the northernmost sighting goes to New Hampshire students of Woodman Park Elementary. They reported from latitude 43 North: "We were coming in from recess and a student first spotted a monarch. I spotted a second today on my way home from school!" said teacher Lynn Allen on Thursday.

• Assume 69 miles for every degree latitude and you can measure how far the migration lags behind in the east. (But remember: the migration may only appear to be behind. Another possibility, of course, would be fewer monarchs in the east so fewer reports.)

What's next?

• Watch the eastern states and provinces this week. Monarchs should begin to appear in larger numbers there as the same weather patterns move eastward.

• Also watch for special monarchs: the GRANDCHILDREN of the monarchs from Mexico have begun to emerge, Dr. Edson noted last Friday in Arkansas. Although you won't know if you see one, you can imagine the incredible life story behind them.

Other Journey North migrations are coming to an end, but we track the monarchs until they've expanded across their entire breeding range. This normally takes until mid-June.

• Don't go away! We need your observations. The monarchs still have a long way to travel. Please Report Your Sightings
• Also, please take a few minutes to share your suggestions and comments in our Year-End Evaluation