Date: 04/17/2017

Number: 1

On the tip of another observer, I went to the Herb Garden at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana, and saw one very ragged-wing female going around to each of the common milkweed shoots to lay eggs. I looked at them later and each shoot was covered, some with 10-15 eggs. I have not seen any of the wild milkweed emerging yet (in my SouthRidge Park, for example), and this may be the only patch for miles around. It is VERY unusaul to see monarchs this early; I'm afraid the little cats are not going to survive with so little to eat - the shoots were only a few inches tall, although there are many of them. I wonder if the monarch is 1st gen (rode the strong south winds all the way from Mexico!) or already 2nd generation; She looks really faded and ragged.

Champaign, IL

Latitude: 40.1 Longitude: -88.2

Observed by: Kevin
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