Butterfly sightings for July 2011

2-5:30. I did not see a single butterfly nectaring on butterfly weed which was just into flower. I thought that there were very few deer flies until I went into the woods looking for Northern Pearly-eyes when they chased me back out into the hot and steamy open areas.

91º and Humid. Wow! 1 hour is all I had available. I could spend days there exploring. Lupine still in bloom SE of Hiles on HWY 32.

96F this afternoon. Most of these were seen during some quick trips outside or later in the day. The swallowtail was seen on my way into town.

Sunny and hot - more Least Skippers than I could count out in the field; quite a few Tawny Emperors down in the hollow itself; the Edwards Hairstreak either had just emerged or else had a deformed forewing; the moth was very striking

This was a NABA Butterfly Count. 11 Observers. Temperature was at least 89 degrees. Best butterflies were Variegated Fritillary, American Snout (photo by Edgar Spalding), Tawny Emperor (Glenda Denniston), Bronze Copper (Spalding). Photo of N. Pearly Eye by Stan Rehm.

9 to 10:30 am. Very hot and sunny. Pearl Crescents were very abundant. Got a photo of a very beautiful dragonfly--a Four-spotted Skimmer.

Also saw a number of damselflies and dragonflies.

Was very surprised to find a female Western Tailed-Blue, only my second sighting in the county. That's now five species of blues on or adjacent to my property in the past two years (Greenish, Reakirt's, Azure, and both tailed species)!

The Mourning Cloak and the Admirals came to my bait station. The rest were seen after 7:30 this evening while I was walking in the field.

Deer flies and mosquitoes were noticeably absent. The Juvenal's Duskywing is one for my collection of "over-the-hill butterfly" photos.

87º and Sunny. Lots of scat on the dirt/gravel roads. Saw my first Gray Comma and a bunch of Mourning Cloaks. Took my wife back to see some.

Sunny. 3/4 hour. Gravel and dirt roads. Drive and stop.

Path through middle of deciduous woods

Late afternoon, overcast, in the 80's.

Thanks to Ann and Mike for helping with the count this year (21st year). Eyed Brown, Mourning Cloak, Monarch, Acadian Hairstreak, Great Spangled Frit, and Northern Crescent have been seen on all 21 counts. The Common Ringlet was a first for the count and is a new late date for me. The Purplish Copper was only the 2nd one seen on this count. The 21 Least Skippers is a new count high.

Some other skippers also present. This place is a true gem for botanical lovers. Ton of odes too!

Early morning visit so not much flying

This area looked like it could be good Bog Copper habitat, and I ended up seeing more than I ever have before in a single day.

Also 11 species of dragonfly, including an adult male Banded Meadowhawk. Photos by Sylvia Edlebeck.

Released first Monarch of the year raised from egg, female

After finding 25 Bog Coppers at a nearby location, I thought that I would make a quick stop to see what was here today. Yesterday we found 4 Bog Coppers here during the NABA count.

This is the earliest that I've seen a Checkered White, the previous early date being August 6. After putting in a lot of effort yesterday walking through the fields to find a Common Ringlet for the NABA count, today I saw one in my front yard while looking out through my living room window.

Survey for Regal Fritillaries with Anna Hipke-Krueger and Ruth Kearley

Cloudy

Cloudy with <5% sun. I have been trying to get a Long Dash nectaring on the Grass Pink for several years. I was following the Harris' Checkerspot when he was grabbed by the spider.

89º Partly Sunny to Sunny. Meadows, deep woods, and edges. 1 Meadow Fritillary was dead on a Butterflyweed.

Cloudy today. I saw these while working out in my yard.

Thanks to Su Borkin who saw the Poweshiek Skipperling lay an egg.

85º Sunny. The faded RS Purples were on top of the hill. Saw a pair of Spread-wing Skippers together that didn't give me a good look.

Only the second time I have seen Baltimores on the meadows. Milkweeds are opening attracting much attention. Very good weather today with low winds and lots of sun.

85º Sunny. First time for Baltimores here this year. Butterfly weed and Milkweed(s) are open. Comma landed on a plant next to the moving 3-wheeler when I was opening up the trail.

Observed along the various trails traversing through the park.

These were in my yard and garden. I haven't been able to ID the black caterpillar.

clear, 78F, light breeze

We went up to Horicon to find the first ever sighting of a Neotropic Cormorant. But afterwards did a little birding and butterflying. A beautiful day.

8:30 am to 11:30 am. Overcast. The birds were better than the butterflies today, maybe because the sun wasn't out. Lots of Milkweed, yet few Monarchs. Saw about 20 Ctenucha moths and another 20 or so Reversed Haploa moths.

partly cloudy, 72F, 7mph ESE

Cloudy all day until late afternoon. The Wood-Nymph was on the outside of my patio door while I took the photo from the inside.

2:30-3:30pm; partly cloudy, 72F, 7mph ESE

85º Sunny. 3:30-5:30 PM Explored the NE 40. Meadow to edge of marsh. Lots of new ones for me today. Edge of Marsh on far east end was explosion of Baltimores and Fritillaries. Wooded area held Mustard Whites. Butterfly Weed was the hot feeding spot. All 3 Corals and 6 other butterflies on 1 Butterfly Weed. There are hundreds of acres yet to explore. Never saw a Ragged Fringed Orchis before today,.

These were seen in my garden today.

Just a short walk after work--noon til 12:45. Hot and sunny. My first Red-spotted Purples.

78º Sunny. 2 Hrs. Looking for Fritillaries. There were other butterflies I don't have listed. The best place to find them was the top of the hill above the sign (see pict). Grass and flowers were less than knee deep. Started down by the creek in shoulder high parsnips, nettles, and grass. There is a single log bridge across the creek. Doreen(my wife) didn't make it. Didn't fall in the creek either.

80s Sunny. 3-5:30PM. Viceroy may be the same one I saw a few weeks back.
Mike - is 1 of the picts a Hickory Hairstreak or a Banded? I went back and forth on it. I also have a skipper I couldn't ID
I also

Sighted near the edge of a pond near my parent's house (located off Hwy 82 between Elroy and Mauston).

Last week I pulled up my car at home to scores of Skippers and Crescents enjoying the clover flowers in a section of uncut grass. I estimated 40 Skippers (at minimum) and 15+ Crescents. Snapped pics of Northern Crescents (including two vying for the same flower head), a Pearl Crescent and European Pearl Skippers. Even got a photo of a European Skipper settled on some Phlox late at night. They all remained for several days.

Afternoon scouting trip for me. I hoped to see Bog Coppers and Elfin Skimmers. I saw both! Notice the female sedge sprite in carrying the remnants of the male who did protect the female.

Cloudy 9-9:20AM

Partly Sunny Hot. 1 1/2 hrs. Took my wife to show her the butterflies and flowers in 1 of the meadows.

Hot and Partly Cloudy. Took my wife for a short ride on to show her some of what I have been seeing here. 1 Comma landed on the front basket of the 3-wheeler and then on her jeans while the motor was still running. This is the first time in 13 year that we have had yellow butterflyweed(3 plants). I will post picts when it is fully open.

Only a little bit of temporary sunshine today.

Dan was hoping for his first sighting and photos of Bog Coppers, he wasn't disappointed. I've included a photo of a male that has almost no orange markings on its hindwings. It was cloudy here and started sprinkling when we left.

A fair number of butterflies and dragonflies and LOTS of mosquitoes.

Part of a butterfly presentation and hike. Over 25 people saw more photos of butterflies than they did butterflies. Very cloudy conditions. Thanks to Robert for spotting the Eastern Tailed-Blue and the Virginia Ctenucha Moth.

This is my personal list for the Riveredge Butterfly Count, not the official list which is still being compiled. There were very few Skippers this year. We only managed to net one, 2 more got away without IDs and I got a poor photo of one which I think is a Tawny-edged.

This was seen at the annual Riveredge Butterfly Count in 2011. Though this sighting report is almost a year late, I thought I had reported it, but apparently not according to the records.

The LightCatchers Photo Club held their first (annual?) Family Day outing, at the Marsh Haven Nature Center today. Near 90 degrees, and muggy. Just enough butterflies to keep us running around in circles. At least one Monarch laying eggs, but as I looked for them all day, no caterpillars. I wasn't paying much attention to the Cabbage Whites, or the Clouded Sulphurs, and the five Common Wood Nymphs, and the ten unidentified Crescents, were not "user friendly" for photographers.

And another new one for me. Wish I had had a camera - the eastern tailed blue sat nicely for a time - but I was jogging so I wasn't carrying one with me.

82º Sunny. 3:30-4:45 PM.

84º Sunny. 5-6:15 PM. NE 20 Acres. Explored another 5 acres. And 2 of the 3 Mourning Cloaks hatched out in my living room.

I was having good luck with skipper photos today, at least with the skippers that would cooperate. Today was the day for beat-up butterflies. A Monarch didn't have much left for wings on its right side and the swallowtail didn't have much left for hindwings. An Aphrodite had its forewing pinched together which was slowing it down in flight. This is the latest that I've ever seen a Canadian Tiger Swallowtail.

Seen while conducting Regal Fritillary surveys.

We stopped at a spot for Juniper Hairstreak and Dorothy found one in less than a minute. But close-up photo was impossible. Most Wild Indigo Duskywings we have ever seen. Several Hickory Hairstreaks and Tawny Emperors. Observers were Karl and Dorothy Legler and Douglas Buege.

Hot and Sunny. Drive and stop.

1 Monarch caterpillar. New high species count of 39! No Ladies or Red Admirals.

Seen while conducting Regal Fritillary surveys.

Winds became a problem but temps and sun were good. Rain last night created lots of puddles.

I photographed the duskywing along the road that had plenty of crown vetch.

Usually by mid-July I've seen lots of Baltimore checkerspots. But a visitor from New York City, Chyna Muhammad, was the first to spot and photograph one on The Nature Conservancy's Lulu Lake Preserve.

Tailed-blue was ovipositing on vetch. Considering the abundance of nectar plants in blossom on a sunny, warm July day, the number of butterflies seemed rather meager.

78 degrees and mostly cloudy. Half hour in both locations.

I did not see any dragonflies today.

This trip was for me to get my first photos of a fresh Mottled Duskywing. I have been trying for four years without success. Today I felt like I was in Mottled Duskywing Heaven. The numbers are skewed because I was concentrating on the Duskywings rather than other species. All Duskywings were very fresh. The photos are of four different individuals.

I was out for only a few minutes late this afternoon.

Count was scheduled for July 12 but overcast and forecast of rain caused postponement to July 13. Five observers. 39 species. Best butterflies were Gray Copper and Little Glassywings. 8 Skippers.

Flash of color in the Hazelbrush.

78º Sunny. 3/4 hour.

78º Sunny. 1 1/4 Hrs.

Looking for this SNA, I followed DNR instructions and wound up on a cul-de-sac with a steep incline and deep sand. I spent 6 hours trying to get the car out, finally walking until I found somebody who pulled me out with his SUV. Rough day, but this place is rich with butterflies!

Don't go all the way on 320th Street!

Crex in the evening had many deer flies.

I was very excited to see and get a good photo of what I am pretty sure is a Marine Blue. It was in a weedy field near Lake Michigan.

Was out looking for Dragonflies and Damselflies but couldn't pass up a chance to shoot pictures of Butterflies. Ended the day with 33 species of odonata including Incurvate Emerald, Elfin Skimmers, Sphaghnum Sprites, Dragonhunters, and many more

clear, 72F, breezy

Fortunate to see him fly by me and where he landed. Even then, hard to see him from the tree bark. The sun was perfect to back light him. Brown is beautiful.

Thought he was dead! Black thing hanging in the grass, gently nudged the grass and he moved. Check out the facial hair & eye detail. In clusters all along woody part of trail.

78 degrees and Mostly Cloudy. 1 3/4hrs. The counts are low. There were times I had 20+ mixed species in the air around around me. Parked by the fire number "N3444" on Cnty K, checked out the prairie flowers in the first meadow, and hiked all the way to the east end on the field/woods roads.

Cloudy today.

Overcast, not that warm

Four observers: Karl and Dorothy Legler, Mike Reese and Peter Fissel. 43 species. 13 skippers. Little Glassywing, Dion Skipper and Swamp Metalmark were found in record numbers. Notice the Little Glassywing laying an egg.

Striped hairstreak is a new one for county. Mediocre conditions, overcast and cool.

Nothing unusual today. Besides lots of Silver-spotted Skippers there were also about 20 Ctenucha virginica moths.

84 Degrees and Cloudy. Quick trip to the marsh. Am happy to see the Yellow Butterflyweed.

We were helping with a Cub Scout brat fry on the corner of Main and Beaver Dam streets in Waupun (right on the border between Fond du Lac and Dodge counties) when an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail landed on the back of my husband's arm. He or she alighted there for all to see (except my husband!) and then flew off. I remember specifically how brilliant the blue on the wings were. Sorry...no pictures! We weren't prepared for pictures at that moment and it passed by too quickly.

Cloudy with scattered rain.

The Aphrodite was feeding on echinacea. Tiny butterfly with grayish white underwings with orange spots and bright blue on the top. I'm planting lupines!

84 degrees and Mostly Cloudy. Parked by the fire number "N3444" on Cty K, checked out the prairie flowers in the first meadow, and hiked all the way to the east end on the field/woods roads. Spiders had 2 Duns today. Mating pairs - Monarch, Azure, ET Blue, N. Pearly-eye and Common Wood Nymph.

10:15 am to 12:15 pm. Last week on the butterfly count I missed the Metalmarks because they were not in my counting territory, so I returned today to see them. Three came close enough to the path to get good looks and an OK photo. There were many Eastern Tailed-blues today. I hadn't realized how black the females look when they are in flight, although they look more dark gray when they settle with their wings spread. Most of the skippers today got away without me being able to either ID or photograph them.

USFWS Field Tour - walked a fair bit of the central property.

Even though the Mourning Cloak didn't cooperate very well for photos, I included one here because I don't remember ever seeing one nectaring on any flowers.

clear, light breeze, 75F; Mourning Cloaks were caterpillars only.

Flush of skippers on gravel/dirt road

Sunny and hot, with lots of pesky flies, but it was a very rewarding afternoon, with many butterflies, dragonflies, and damselflies. Highlights included a Karner "Melissa" blue alighting on my ankle and hundreds of damselflies on a creek.