Butterfly sightings for October 2010

First Male Common Checkered-Skipper. Saw the female on Sept 21.

A warm and sunny day with a surprising number of butterflies. All the individuals that I got good looks at looked to be new and none were tattered or worn.

First time I ever recognized a Checkered White.
I probably saw more that day, but didn't start keeping records until 10/4.

Cold morning, and just two hours on the meadows.

Cloudy and cool still at 1:30, but the sun gradually appeared for longer periods of time and the butterflies were nectaring on the still abundant asters.

Cool but sunny - both species seen along a gravel road in a sheltered spot

Sulpher, white, copper and buckeye are all minimum numbers.

Another great day to be watching and photographing.

Cold start but warm in afternoon. Few nectar sources remain. Very little puddling going on.

Mating pair of Northern Crescents!!!

Cold in the morning, but by 11am it had become quite sunny and warm. That was when I began to notice a few butterflies mostly feeding on the fall asters.

70 degrees and sunny. The Buckeye only landed on the gravel trail, no matter how many times it was flushed. I never saw any of the Whites or Sulphurs land, on the numorous Daisies, or the few Asters that were left

Temps: 48 overnight and 77 Oct 7

Sunny, mid-70s. Beautiful afternoon.

Observed on cultivated pitcher plants (Sarracenia)

Temps: 42 overnight and 79 during the day.

Another warm and sunny day. All the butterflies looked fresh and new except for the American Lady which was very battered and worn.

Sunny and upper 70s. In addition to 2 species of butterflies I saw a cool grasshopper and an autumn meadowhawk.

Sunny and upper 70s. This is a dog park with very nice trails, just south of Verona off Hwy PB. I decided to take a walk there and see if by chance I'd see any butterflies. Saw a few. Unfortunately a dog scared away the silver-spotted skipper before I could take a photo.

Ken Tennessen found the Citrine Forktails here earlier in September and I checked to see if they were still here and was surprised to find a newly emerged male and female.

Found the Fiery Skipper at the edge of Lake Tomah in Winnebago Park. It was the only butterfly I saw in the park.

Stopped to possibly see a Splendid Tiger Beetle, but I didn't see any tiger beetles at all.

This was a new late date for me for an American Copper. Judging by the shape it was in, it looks like a late date for this individual as well.

Temps: 53 overnight and 80 during the day.

A definite lack of butterflies despite 80 degree temps.

I believe the latest Monarch I've ever seen here.

Sunny and 85! Lots of asters in McKee Park.

I visited a small nature park in Fontana, at 600 Main St. behind St. Benedict's Catholic Church several times this summer. I had taken some fantastic photos of Monarchs, Whites & Sulphers a few weeks before. I came across this Common Buckeye, who was willing to pose for about 10 minutes. I got some great shots of him before he flew south.

Beautiful weather but most leaves off trees now and nectar sources very few and far between.

Mostly city parks in Wautoma, Plainfield, Hancock, and Plainfield.

The Monarch and the one White that I photographed are the only butterflies that landed on flowers. The Buckeye was landing on the gravel trail, but couldn't sit still for more than two seconds at a time. I'll have to do some research to ID the Leafhopper.

The pair of Whooping Cranes was back this year, and they were able to successfully raise a chick. The photo of all 3 was taken while they were feeding in my neighbor's corn field.

Not many butterflies despite the warm and sunny weather and the abundance of asters.

Temps: 48 overnight and 80 during the day.

Temps: 52 overnight and 72 during the day.

Sunny and upper 70s. Lots of skippers today.

Temps: 48 overnight and 75.
White Heath Aster is all that is left to draw butterflies. I can only guess that the large abdomened Gray was the female. The other 2 hung around pretty close.

Temps: 51 overnight and 60 in the afternoon.
Colder daytime temps = fewer fliers.
Those I did see let me get close.

Temps: 40 overnight and 66 in the afternoon.
Purple Asters were the draw there.
Comma, Whites, and 1 of the Milberts were 3 miles S of Westfield in a friends front yard.

Very desert-like, especially re butterflies.

Congratulations, Mike (and everyone), on >1,000 sightings reported this year!

An hour after work.

Temps: 40 overnight and 68 in the afternoon.

On a sandy patch very close to the Eau Claire River.

I wasn't expecting to see very much today and I didn't until I reached my patch of Asters. The Copper, Hairstreak, and Swallowtail were unexpected. All 3 set new late dates for me, with the Swallowtail being more than 2 months later than previously! The Hairstreak was my first in 3 years and these are my first photos of the Gray Hairstreak. The Monarch was seen in Wisconsin Rapids. I also picked up 2 more Deer Ticks, setting a new season high for me.

Very windy and tough to get photos, but I was glad to see the Sachems. I had at least three, but possibly four males.

Temps: 23 overnight and 70 in the afternoon.
Purple Asters.

Temps: 23 overnight and 70 in the afternoon.
First time watching two Am. Coppers come together and mate. After joining they landed on the napping cat. He awoke as I approached which spooked them before a picture could be taken.

Temps: 41 overnight and 61 during the day.
The asters are almost gone.
Last Eastern Tailed-Blue and Gray Hairstreak for the year.

Spotted several male and female Ruby Meadowhawks, a rather ragged Buckeye, Orange Sulphurs and a Variegated Fritillary visiting some small asters which were still in bloom. The majority of the wild sunflowers are now past the blooming stage and are attracting gold finch to the seed heads.

Butterflies were scarce despite lots of nectar sources still available. All Fiery Skippers were fresh. The Chickadee tried to eat a moth that I was attempting to photograph and then decided it was easier to eat the fruit off this tree.

Temps: 48 overnight and 57 in the afternoon.
Last Bronze Copper.
He stayed around a long time. Am looking forward to seeing more next year.

Upper 50s and sunny, late morning. Went to my vet's office to buy cat food, checked out some aster bushes outside the building, and found 2 fiery skippers and 2 cabbage whites.

Temps: 32 overnight and 60 during the afternoon. And very windy.
Low temp on the 16th should have read 38.
First trip to Mckee Farm Park. Was watching a sulpher when the Milberts came in and strafed it only to continue on their journey.

Temps: Overnight 48 and 60 in the afternoon.

1 female Fiery Skipper. Little to no nectar sources left in natural areas.

Last Comma and Checkered Whites.
Whites were male and female.

A few peaks of sun, but the day was mostly cloudy. Quite a few asters still around with lots of bees nectaring. The clouded sulphurs were flying around and/or landing on the grass, but not going to the asters.

Cold rain last 2 days.
Still some flower at the park.

A lone Monarch came and explored the prairie in hopes of finding some nectar. He fed for an hour from an aster plant that is barely flowering.

It was sunning itself on the house.

Sulphurs everywhere along the sunny trails. One landed on my vest and stayed awhile.

The first butterfly in a week was a VERY surprising one. Perhaps its coloration helped it fly on this 53-degree but very sunny morning.