Butterfly sightings for April 2011

Apr 6 2011

Dean Hansen

Location: Roosevelt Twp, Sec 6
Burnett County

Seen: Compton's Tortoise Shell, Mourning Cloak, and an undetermined Comma. All were flighty and didn't want to be approached. Seen in small woodland opening about noon; warm, sunny, temp about 50. Still snow in the woods.

Apr 7 2011

Heidi Hughes

Location: Rustic Road 107 to Meridean
Dunn County

64-degrees today. With snow still on the ground and ice on the ponds along the Lower Chippewa River, I didn't expect to see any butterflies - but there they were.

Eastern Comma

Eastern Comma

Apr 8 2011

Daniel Jackson

Location: Bike Trail in Onalaska. West of Hwy 35 and behind the Lakeview Restaurant. This is a little SE of the intersection of Hwy 35 and Mason St.
La Crosse County

Apr 8 2011

Marcie O'Connor

Location: Our farm - along State Hwy 88, northeast of Praag
Buffalo County

Eastern Comma

Eastern Comma

Apr 8 2011

Ryan Brady

Location: Tri-county Corridor Trail west of Ashland
Bayfield County

First butterflies of the year for me.

Apr 9 2011

Stan Rehm

Location: Lacy Heights, Fitchburg, butterfly garden
Dane County

Apr 9 2011

Ryan Brady

Location: My house off Wanabo Road west of Washburn
Bayfield County

Also another 3-4 flyby Commas that went unidentified. Probably a good number of butterflies flying in suitable locations today.

Apr 10 2011

Dan Sonnenberg

Location: Hwy 78 between Merrimac and Pairie du Sac in Sauk Co.
Sauk County

My first sighting of the year.
76º and Sunny.

Apr 10 2011

Douglas Buege

Location: Tenney Park
Dane County

Birthday Butterfly!

Apr 10 2011

Mike Reese

Location: Wautoma
Waushara County

My first Wisconsin butterfly of the year. I had my first deer tick of the season yesterday in Jackson County.

Apr 10 2011

Judith Huf

Location: Havenwoods State Forest
Milwaukee County

Finally a warm and sunny day for us "colder by the Lake" people. While out bird-watching, I was thrilled to see my first butterflies of the year. Later while I was spring cleaning in my garden, an orange-colored butterfly flew by, but it took off before I had a good look at it. Maybe a Comma?

Apr 10 2011

Marcie O'Connor

Location: Our farm - along State Hwy 88, northeast of Praag
Buffalo County

This butterfly was hanging out near an old birch tree that was dripping sap. Maybe it came in on the strong south wind that's been blowing all day.

Apr 12 2011

james ebner

Location: Oak Creek
Milwaukee County

on residential lawns, singleton

Apr 12 2011

Gerald A. DeBoer

Location: Hawthorne Hollow Arboretum
Kenosha County

American Lady was feeding on some tiny blue flowers common in the "yard".

American Lady

American Lady

Apr 12 2011

Ryan Brady

Location: FR 198 & 387 in Chequamegon National Forest near Beaver Lake
Ashland County

Most inland lakes frozen, patchy snow cover, soft and muddy roads. But nearly 70 degrees, with Green Commas dominating this short morning walk. Also my first Green Darners and quite a few Infant Moths.

Apr 12 2011

Karl and Dorothy Legler

Location: McKenzie Environmental Center, Poynette
Sauk County

Cabbage White was in our yard in Sauk City. The Mourning Cloaks were attracted to tree sap. The Eastern Commas were a pair chasing around.

Apr 12 2011

Ryan Brady

Location: Chequamegon National Forest northwest of Clam Lake (aka "Comma City")
Bayfield County

Comma City lived up to its name once again. Awesome numbers of Satyr and Green Commas on a 2-3 mile hike. Also my first Variegated Meadowhawk dragonfly of the season.

Green Comma

Green Comma

Tortoiseshells and Comma

Tortoiseshells and Comma

Satyr Comma

Satyr Comma

Satyr Comma

Satyr Comma

Green Comma

Green Comma

Apr 12 2011

Gerald A. DeBoer

Location: Colonial Park
Racine County

Mourning Cloak and Red Admiral feeding off the sweet sap flowing on Maple Tree from holes drilled by sapsucker.

Mourning Cloak

Mourning Cloak

Red Admiral

Red Admiral

★ = New county photo record

Apr 12 2011

Stan Rehm

Location: Brooklyn Wildlife Area
Green County

Apr 13 2011

james ebner

Location: Oconomowoc
Waukesha County

one male

Apr 13 2011

Lois Ballard

Location: In the town of Stratford
Marathon County

Was outside doing some stuff, and saw one fluttering around. Went in to get the camera and the stinker took off!

Apr 13 2011

Karl and Dorothy Legler

Location: Avoca Prairie
Iowa County

Apr 13 2011

Karl and Dorothy Legler

Location: Smith's Slough along Wisconsin River
Richland County

Apr 14 2011

Joan Rickert

Location: rural Medford
Taylor County

First butterflies of the season!

Mourning Cloak

Mourning Cloak

Milbert's Tortoiseshell

Milbert's Tortoiseshell

★ = New county photo record

Apr 17 2011

Mike Reese

Location: Spring Green Preserve
Sauk County

All tiger beetles, the meadowhawk, and the Mourning Cloak seen on the Northeast side of the bluff and out of the wind. Sunny! Also saw my first prairie smoke and pasque flowers of the year.

Obliqued-lined Tiger Beetle

Obliqued-lined Tiger Beetle

Variegated Meadowhawk

Variegated Meadowhawk

Apr 21 2011

Ann Thering

Location: Spring Green Preserve
Sauk County

The snow was melting under hazy skies, and the butterflies were flying.

Apr 24 2011

Jorgen Goderstad

Location: Black Earth
Dane County

Apr 24 2011

Phil Peterson

Location: Skunk Foster State Natural Area
Portage County

Apr 24 2011

Ryan Brady

Location: Long Lake Picnic Area west of Washburn
Bayfield County

Brief walk with family in morning.

Apr 25 2011

Sylvia Edlebeck

Location: Quarry Ridge Park, Fitchburg, WI
Dane County

My first butterfly of the year. When was the last time I was this happy to see a cabbage white?

Cabbage White

Cabbage White

Apr 25 2011

Ryan Brady

Location: FR183 in Chequamegon National Forest between Mellen and Clam Lake
Ashland County

A comma slam, including new location for Satyr Commas! At one point had 3 comma species in one binocular view. One photo below shows two Greens and an Eastern. Another shows a Green with a Gray. Also had my first tiger beetles of year, both Cow Path and Festive.

Green Comma

Green Comma

Gray Comma

Gray Comma

commas

commas

commas

commas

Satyr Comma

Satyr Comma

Eastern Comma

Eastern Comma

★ = New county photo record
☆ = New county sighting record

Apr 25 2011

Heidi Hughes

Location: Meridean (Rustic Rd 107)
Dunn County

I stopped to photograph a comma and I got an unexpected treat: a hognosed snake doing its cobra display!

eastern hog-nosed snake

eastern hog-nosed snake

Mustard White

Mustard White

Gray Comma

Gray Comma

'Spring' Spring Azure

'Spring' Spring Azure

★ = New county photo record
☆ = New county sighting record

Apr 25 2011

Esjay

Location: Crex Meadows
Burnett County

One comma flew by but didnt slow down. A white was seen in a field, but in the distance. Once high clouds rolled in, no more butterflies seen.

Mourning Cloak

Mourning Cloak

Apr 25 2011

Daniel Jackson

Location: County XX north of Midway
La Crosse County

Apr 25 2011

K. Java

Location: Fish Lake Wildlife Area
Burnett County

FOY butterflies. Also saw 2 unidentified flying Commas.

Apr 25 2011

Mike Reese

Location: Several sites in the central part of the county
Waushara County

Saw two butterflies today, doubling my total for the year.

pasque flowers

pasque flowers

Mourning Cloak

Mourning Cloak

pasque flowers

pasque flowers

Apr 25 2011

Kristin Gjerdset

Location: 99th and Becher
Milwaukee County

Apr 29 2011

Ron Arnold

Location: wooded area along Brown Street in Wisconsin Rapids
Wood County

Finally, butterflies and sunshine. I was almost finished here and thought that it would be next month before seeing anything, but then these 3 appeared almost at the same time.

Apr 29 2011

Dan Sonnenberg

Location: John Muir County Park
Marquette County

This guy tried to hide on me. Or perhaps he was just tucking himself in for the night.

Mourning Cloak

Mourning Cloak

Apr 29 2011

Joan Braune and Tod Highsmith

Location: our backyard in Madison
Dane County

Apr 29 2011

Joan Braune and Tod Highsmith

Location: Cherokee Marsh
Dane County

Apr 29 2011

Jorgen Goderstad

Location: Lake Marion Park near Mazomanie, WI
Dane County

Apr 30 2011

Douglas Buege

Location: Spring Green Reserve
Sauk County

For about five minutes, I saw 5 or more olympia marbles nectaring off the small white flower. I'm bummed about the photo quality due to user error of camera.

Olympia Marble

Olympia Marble

Obliqued-lined Tiger Beetle

Obliqued-lined Tiger Beetle