Date: 04/10/2002

Number: 1

An adult, apparent female, monarch butterfly appeared in my wife's garden about 3 pm on the amazingly early date of April 10, 2002. Well worn, flying low over the cultivated plants there (hyacinths, daffodils, etc.) Did not land to oviposit or nectar. I walked along after it for about a minute and a half, until it dipped around the house and lost me. We have twice in 15 years watching had monarchs in April, but both times 2 weeks later: 4-25-91 and 4-26-97, the latter ovipositing on tiny milkweed sprouts. All other first sightings have been June.

No milkweed yet that I have noticed. I try to keep track of when I first
see milkweed each year... In 1997 when we last had an April monarch
(4-26-97) milkweed was barely above the ground, but that female found two
tiny sprouts in my wife's garden and laid eggs on them (which did not
survive, unfortunately).

Port Republic, NJ

Latitude: 39.5 Longitude: -74.5

Observed by: Jack
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