The milkweed around here has been ready, willing, and able to please monarch butterflies for more than a week – lush leaves to lay eggs on, nectar-filled blossoms to sip from, and the heavy, sweet scent of musky perfume to put all pollinators in the mood.
Yet, I haven’t seen a monarch or a monarch egg yet. I’ve seen one FaceBook report of one monarch seen in Brooklin so far this summer. Let’s hope that the migration is only late and not suffering again. (Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on July 9 and 11, 2025.)