Rushing Forward!?

Bue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium campestre)

© Bruce A. Morrison

The signs of progress and the phenological records of the past just aren't in agreement this spring on the Tallgrass here.  For people who often get impatient (I'd probably qualify most of the time), its been a bonanza around here!

This week we've had May records broken easily...Monday had our first Monarch Butterfly flying through (had 3 yesterday)...surely looking for milkweeds to lay their eggs, because the specimens that Georgie and I have been seeing were very faded after a long flight from the south.  We do have milkweeds up - hope they find them before the poor things expire!

In fact I was out looking for milkweed plants and checking for possible eggs when I also discovered the the Blue-eyed grasses were up as well...looked like they'd been up for some time too!  I have never seen Blue-eyed grass much before May 15th, in fact that is usually my "go to" date when looking for them!

Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)

© Bruce A. Morrison

But Monarchs in April???  Here??!!  That is really unreal...I remember years when we waited well into June for them.  Well - welcome Monarchs!