Lack of butterflies

[TDWolfe]

>I would be interested in hearing about monarch counts in other >parts of the
>country.

I am new at butterfly watching, but this summer I've been taking several walks
a weeks up our road here in upstate New York (Tioga County).  I am limited to
the road itself by the huge double stroller that I push on these walks, but the
road cuts through two nice fields of wildflowers full of milkweed, thistles
etc.  So far, I have seen no monarchs at all, no caterpillars either.  

I don't know if the following is of interest to the group, but here is my list
from my walk of 7/18:
-2 wood nymphs (the road also cuts through some nice forest)
-1 eastern black swallowtail
-2 tiger swallowtails (fewer than the usual 5+ but this may have been a fluke)
-2 commas, 
-lots of cabbage whites (following their little noses to my broccoli patch I
assume)
-1 viceroy
-many pearly crescentspots
-1 baltimore

One last comment...it seems to me that the viceroy's coloration would become a
liability when there are no monarchs around.  Wouldn't its bright color just
attract attention from birds who haven't had the chance to learn how nasty
monarchs taste?  Comments?

Pat