With my recent knee problems I haven't been getting out for his many walks in the local parks, but yesterday I decided to take a chance and walk over by my little township pond. It's a weedy mess with all kinds of invasive plants overrunning the natives, but there is quite a bit of swamp milkweed blooming right now. I was delighted to see three monarchs nectaring at neighboring milkweed flowers simultaneously yesterday. I'm not sure I saw any last year, or maybe one. However, I did find eggs last year, but none yesterday. It looked to me like there was a male and female, though, so I have hope. I also saw another monarch in the yard yesterday. That is the third or fourth this year. All I saw last year was one late straggler in October. So overall, I think the picture this year is better. I hope that will show up when they do the census next winter.
Liz