I realize this is off topic both as to birds and as to Maryland. But since I know lots of us appreciate butterflies and the phenomenon of Monarch butterfly migration, it is encouraging to know that the Monarch butterflies appear to be rebounding from their significant recent losses in their wintering roosts in Mexico.

This is a link to an article in a local newspaper in southeast Arkansas about a unique major gathering of migrating Monarch butterflies.  What it describes is sort of analagous to a major fallout of avian migrants.
http://www.ashleycountyledger.com/articles/2006/10/17/news/h16f104t.txt

I got this from an Arkansas birds listserve, and the irony is that my wife and I were visiting in this part of Arkansas when this was happening but didn't hear about it when we were there.  We definitely would have hustled over to look at this had we known about it!

Jim Nelson
Bethesda, MD