Butterfly sightings for October 2012

I worked in the woods early this morning, so the only butterfly I saw today was this female Fiery Skipper just as I was getting ready to go home.

Just touring the prairie without camera or binocs. Not much doing.

Who would've guessed I'd be looking at Fiery Skippers in October along the Lake Superior shore?

It's my first time ever seeing a Common Checkered-Skipper!

Scads of Cabbage Whites, otherwise numbers of other species greatly reduced. A Monarch was the surprise of the day!

On October 1 we looked for White-M Hairstreak without success (needle in a 2 mile haystack). Today we found a Checkered White along the beach at Bagley, and a very worn Gray Hairstreak at Wyalusing. These are the first anglewings in a while.

74 degrees and sunny. Combine came today. Found one of the host plants for dainties (common chickweed) in the marsh.

Very few butterflies, concentrated on the very few asters still blooming.

4:30-5:30 pm -- Air temp 71 deg. The American Copper was chasing and attempting to mate with the Purplish Copper.

Besides Cabbage Whites, no species in abundance. There were a good number of asters around, so I thought there might be more butterflies. I was disappointed to see only one fiery skipper, since they have been my most consistent butterfly of the summer. The two small ponds at the park are completely dry, and the water levels in the small lake are very low. A person could walk around the whole lake on the dry lake bed.

74 degrees and sunny. Some of the Daintys are still in the soybean field. The rest are hanging on White Heath Aster. Half the species didn't show up until after 3:30 PM.

14 species today. Best finds were Variegated Fritillaries, Painted Lady and half a dozen Buckeyes and Common Checkered-Skippers, and a late Peck's Skipper. Dorothy photographed the Sora Rail.

Today is my 132nd day in a row of seeing a butterfly in Wood County. The streak that started on May 26th will end either today or tomorrow as I’m leaving tomorrow for a long weekend in Duluth. The streak includes 1 day of seeing a roosting butterfly during a rain storm (there could have been more, but seeing 1 was good enough), 6 days of overcast and 1 day of spotting roosting butterflies at 10pm at night by flashlight (thanks to the abundance of European Skippers on that night). I went out during 19 lunch breaks at work due to impending bad weather or working late and running out of daylight. On 30 days I saw only immigrant species, 32 days of seeing a single species, and 18 days I saw only a single butterfly. Special thanks to the Dainty Sulphurs, or the streak would have been much shorter. My previous streak wasn’t much over 30 days.

On this cold day, I was surprised to find even a single butterfly.

Frost had been predicted for two evenings but it seemed that it didn't freeze in Sauk City. Didn't expect to see anything on a walk today but saw these two butterflies and a female Shadow Darner (dragonfly). Couple other dragonflies flew briefly.

50 Degrees, Sunny and light wind. During halftime of the packer game. Froze last night.

Cool and windy. 1:00 - 3:30

Windy, partly cloudy and 55 degrees. Thank heaven for Cabbage Whites, which remain eye candy and rather common. All other species rare, and no skippers sighted. My garden attracted Red Admiral and Cabbage White.

My large patch of French Marigolds lured a Common Checkered-Skipper, a pair of Sachems, and a Red Admiral during a brief period of sunshine at noon. 58 degrees, partial sun, and moderate wind.

50 degrees and sunny. The MC landed on a squirrel feeder I had just set on the ground outside my door.

Cabbage Whites laying eggs on a native crucifer.This last generation will require a hasty development in order to make it in before really cold weather arrives. I doubt if enough time is available since a completed cycle requires four weeks. The female Sachem was a visitor in my garden.

56 degrees and Sunny. 3 1/2" of rain over the weekend. More than doubles our total May 6 - Oct 12. Most in the yard. 4 Daintys in the Soybean field.

66 degrees and sunny. Painted Lady and Monarch were outside the entrance. Male Cabbage White attempted to mate with white form of the Clouded Sulphur 2 seperate times.

The Pipevine was one I reared from eggs from May (found on Pipevine in my garden).

70 degrees, sunny to partly cloudy, 12:30-2:00 pm

I was searching for birds, but a warm morning with a little sun brought out a couple of species of butterflies.

69 degrees and sunny. 11-noon. Walked the yard and found 5. Rode the 3 wheeler slowly across the field to find the rest in 10 minutes, then the heavy clouds rolled in.

Nice fresh female of the Fiery Skipper, ..allowed me a nice side shot after stalking it for 10 minutes.

Late morning, sunny, mid-60's, just before the clouds rolled in. The first dainty sulphur was flitting around on a dirt road. The second was above the water on the lake, a few feet from shore. It kept falling into the water, then pulling itself out. Finally it made its way to a twig floating in the water and went through a lengthy series of moves to get itself upright. It was still there half an hour later, still upright, but it had turned itself around.

Temperature was about 58 degrees and mostly sunny. Also saw a female Shadow Darner (dragonfly).

pleasant afternoon with light winds

Observed six species today, with the Eastern Tailed Blue a highlight. Conditions near perfect, but butterflies are now sadly disappearing from view.

Sunny and 65 degrees. One of the painted ladies landed on some chrysanthemums. During the next 10 minutes or so, she made her way down into the inside of the plant, almost to the ground. Interesting to watch. The other highlight of the day were several large groups of cedar waxwings which were frequenting crabapple trees and eating berries.

Surprised to see a Monarch again. Haven't seen one in weeks.

6 of the stops were the same as on Oct 3. 11 species is not bad considering the several nights of freezing temperatures between then and now! We saw more clouded/orange sulphurs this time.

63 degrees and sunny. Packers game halftime. Walked the yard and found 4 Daintys. Rode the 3 wheeler slowly across the field to find the next 47 in 10 minutes. Doreen walked the yard with me after the game and found 1 more DS and 2 of the Orange Sulphurs.

Sunny, air temp = 63 degrees, 1:30-2:30 pm. Pictures include a mating pair of Dainty Sulfurs, one with an open-winged male.

1:30 64, Partly sunny
Had planned to cut these flowers back this weekend since I hadn't seen any butterflies for weeks. One sulphur (camera shy) and this lovely moth today. Maybe next weekend.

The Buckeye was in great condition, a surprise for this late in the year.

77 degrees. Overcast with intermittent sun. Not much variety!

Thought I'd stop on the way home from work to see if anybody was flying. Fiery skippers on asters.

Sunny...73 degrees about noon, saw both butterflies while going to and adjacent building. I really wish I could have hit my normal Columbia Co. location today.

High Temp was 78 degrees with an overnight low of 61.. Sun would peak thru from time to time. Soybean field held 90 of the Daintys. Saw the C. White 2 different times, but wouldn't let me get close enough for a pict. It would fly away and bury itself in the tall grass along the road.

Ideal weather topping in the 70's. Noted cultivated Sage in small gardenplot (downtown) held Sachem female and Cabbage White. My garden yielded a male Fiery Skipper and an Orange Sulfur.

Partly cloudy and about 70 degrees. Great day until the clouds rolled in. Also saw a "Lady" and possibly an American Copper.

A very frosty 22 degs here this morning, spotted the lone orange sulphur during my late morning walk.

Sunny but 30 degrees colder than the last time I was here. Just two Orange Sulphurs. The first one led me to the second.

Sunny, but chilly.

Really no butterflies to speak of. The prairie plants are pretty well withered and dead.

47 degrees and sunny at noon. Still had some frost on the ground in the shade of the barn. Sun felt warm on the south slope of the soybean field. Walked the same route as weeks past. Heath asters are almost gone. All that is left are some tiny white flowers.
Had a big brown butterfly flit past my window yesterday.

Saw two Orange Sulphurs while burning leaves. It seemed like they were attracted by the heat.

Light Overcast, 1:30 pm, 45 degrees. This is the only butterfly seen today. This Dainty was on the sand with wings open apparently trying to heat up some. It responded to touch by closing it's wings, but would open them again, providing a great photographic opportunity for a top view.