Butterfly sightings for May 2008

All fresh! I was in exactly the same area searching yesterday afternoon and none were out. I saw all of these within thirty minutes. These were my first Henry's of the year and the most I have ever seen in one day.

Saw a Green Darner almost catch a Brown Elfin.

I was hoping to find Henry's Elfins, I've seen them here in other years.

Two very active cabbage whites flying along the shrubline in my front yard.

The Am. Ladies were at Upper Lake Park, Port Washington, the rest at Cedarburg Bog

Also sighted (1)gray looper moths,(2)Common oak moths and (5)Cicindela t. tranquebarica

Great looks at the Olympia Marbles! Many bird's foot violets in bloom. Photo by Ann Thering.

30-minute trip during lunch.

Also saw two duskywings.

Stopped here for a few minutes late in the afternoon.

Three forms of Spring Azure, ladon, marginata and lucia seen on a snowmobile trail through the area.

These were my first Olympia Marbles of the year. We saw the Mustard Whites at two sites.

Just driving around doing errands and saw it fly across the street.

I saw the Cabbage White during a quick walk on my property late in the day.

I sighted this one nectaring on Dandelions across the road from my home. I believe it wintered over in chrysalis, from a caterpillar I found feeding on wild carrot in my yard last October.

Very overcast. The Elfins weren't very interested in basking. There were about a half dozen that I wasn't able to identify because they wouldn't settle down.

It was late morning here, just before the sunshine disappeared.

Frosted Elfins were my first. Both were very fresh.

Cloudy and cool.

The black swallowtail was spotted in a field in Fitchburg, Fish Hatchery Road.

The Henry's were much more active today than the first time I saw them.

A quick walk before work in a old field full of indian paintbrush, willow, blueberry and clover.

Also sighted Blueish Spring Moths,Cicindela patruela/huberi integrades(4 Green and 2 purple/brown forms)2 Six Spotted Tiger Beetles. The Henry's Elfins were nectaring on blueberry.

This is my second sighting of Olympia Marble here the other sighting was 3 years ago

Also a dozen or so Cicindela patruelas out all after 11:30

Spent the mourning looking for Tiger Beetles in four different habitats,Barren(Oak/pine),wet meadow, fields and dry woods.Cicindela formosa generosa,C.scutellaris lecontei,C.sexguttata and C. patruela(green form)Allhad been observed. Also many Bluish Spring Moths, Common Oak Moths,and Sharp Line Powder Moths

Some sun early, but very windy. Rain showers by 1:00, but mostly cloudy and cool.

Rains were approaching and we only managed to flush the two blues.

Weather started out with sun but quickly clouded over. The cold overnight did not help.

This was a field trip of the Southern Wis Butterfly Assn(SWBA). 8 people attended and this is also a NABA spring butterfly count. We found 21 species.

A 45 minute hike at two areas before work about 11:30AM

It was so nice to finally see a Monarch...it was laying eggs.

Probably more Silvery Blues flying over lupine but only this SB female (upper side only visible) stopped long enough to get a good look.

Also: day-flying Grapevine Moth which looks like a black/white/red butterfly. Dragonflies: many Chalk-fronted Corporals, Dusky Clubtail.

The conifer bog wasn't as open as I had hoped. The Elfins were the only species spotted in the bog, all others were in the Mead WA.

Partly sunny; 69 degrees; gusty east wind; Hoary Elfins on Bearberry

It was a lot of work to find the Freija and the Red-disked Alpine, and the Jutta was a nice surprise. The tiger beetle is the Boreal Long-lipped Tiger Beetle (C. longilabris) and is only the second site I have seen this species. I found it on Riley Lake Rd.

The sun didn't last long, but I took advantage of it and so did the butterflies. The Brown Elfin was the only one I've ever seen on my property. I also saw a Duskywing, but I never got close to it.

Little sun but warm temperatures.

The sun came out just before I left, and so did the butterflies. The Harvester sighting today makes 2 days in a row, which is a first for me.
(The dragonfly is an Ebony Boghaunter. MR)
Mike: The dragonfly sure looks like an Ebony Boghaunter to me. Am I right?

We got lucky and got some sun for about thirty minutes and the butterflies were flying. Unfortunately it started raining soon after we headed to a different site and we decided to head south. These were my first Chryxus Arctics ever.

These were the first Monarchs I've seen this year.

The Henry's Elfin was the first I've seen on my property. There were a few other Duskywings that I wasn't able to identify.

Lots of Six-spotted Tiger Beetles here today.

My first tiger swallowtail this year.

First Monarch of the year!

73 degrees, sunny and SW wind 5-15 mph

The Olympia Marble was a challenge to photograph. It never nectared for very long, and it was inside the buffalo pen, so I had to shoot through the fence.

First Monarch and Hobomok Skipper of the year for me.

Got distracted by lots of dragonflies, including many clubtails in the barrens, and the first of the year Chalk-fronted Corporals and Common Whitetails. Still no Karners.

Tod also heard a Kentucky Warbler here.