Butterfly sightings for October 2013

Oct 1 2013

Karl and Dorothy Legler

Location: A few stops along Mississippi River, north of Prairie du Chien
Crawford County

Some of the best butterflying of the year! So many individuals that it was very difficult to count them. Higher numbers are under counted. Warm weather of 80 degrees helped keep them active. There were Buckeyes about every 10 feet. Are the Buckeyes moving north with southerly winds or are they migrating south??

Orange Sulphur

Orange Sulphur

Orange Sulphur

Orange Sulphur

Little Yellow

Little Yellow

Bronze Copper

Bronze Copper

Common Buckeye

Common Buckeye

Oct 1 2013

Ann Thering

Location: Olbrich Botanical Gardens
Dane County

Ocola Skipper is a lifer for me! And not on Mike's list of skippers....

Wisconsin state record! Mike

Ocola Skipper

Ocola Skipper

Ocola Skipper

Ocola Skipper

Ocola Skipper

Ocola Skipper

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

Oct 1 2013

Nancy Gunder

Location: Town of Middleton
Dane County

In my yard early afternoon. The photo is of a White-lined Sphinx moth that was feeding on my catnip.

White-lined Sphinx

White-lined Sphinx

Oct 1 2013

Ron Arnold

Location: my property in the town of Seneca
Wood County

I saw these while working in my yard.

Oct 2 2013

Sylvia Edlebeck

Location: Stricker's Pond, Middleton
Dane County

Orange Sulphur

Orange Sulphur

Common Buckeye

Common Buckeye

Cabbage White

Cabbage White

Oct 2 2013

D Nussbaum

Location: High Cliff SP
Calumet County

12:30 to 2:45. You're not going to see many October days nicer than this one.

Saw more whites and sulphurs today than any other day this year, including several white form sulphurs.

cicada

cicada

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Clouded Sulphur

Clouded Sulphur

Common Buckeye

Common Buckeye

Eastern Comma

Eastern Comma

Eastern Comma

Eastern Comma

Northern Crescent

Northern Crescent

Clouded Sulphur

Clouded Sulphur

Cabbage White

Cabbage White

Oct 2 2013

Dan Sonnenberg and 5 others

Location: Olbrich Gardens
Dane County

78° Sunny. Impromtu NABA outing yielded a late season tying record Meadow Frit.

Common Buckeye

Common Buckeye

Oct 2 2013

Peter Fissel

Location: Mead S.W.A.
Marathon County

Pat Ready tried to get a photo of the Dainty Sulphur, but it wasn't cooperative. My FOY, and a lifer for Pat!

☆ = New county sighting record

Oct 2 2013

Jim Otto

Location: Browne Prairie at Madison Audubon's Goose Pond Sanctuary
Columbia County

Painted Lady

Painted Lady

Oct 3 2013

Judith Huf

Location: Lincoln Park
Milwaukee County

Overcast and threatening rain, but fairly warm.

Oct 3 2013

Pamela Skaar

Location: Field next to 2802 Agriculture Drive, Madison 53718
Dane County

3:30 PM travels 1 mile in about 200 minutes. 76 F, SSE wind 5 mph.

Oct 3 2013

Sylvia Edlebeck

Location: Madison, behind Oakwood Village West
Dane County

Overcast but still found a few butterflies.

Monarch

Monarch

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Oct 5 2013

Peter Fissel

Location: Evansville SWA
Rock County

Incidental sightings while birding

Oct 5 2013

Peter Fissel

Location: Rutland-Dunn Rd. WPA
Dane County

Steve Thiessen and I were birding a new Waterfowl Production Area, a former corn field that was planted to prairie this year. Stunning number of butterflies and moths - all I could do was estimate. Some were flying even in the steady light rain that started after a while.

Oct 5 2013

Dan Sonnenberg

Location: My Yard
Marquette County

71° Cloudy and mist between rain storms. The sun vailed by clouds was just enough to get the cabbage whites flying. 20 minutes was all I had. Saw my first Dainty of the year. All within 25 yards of the barn.

Oct 5 2013

Darleen Horman

Location: My yard in Allenton
Washington County

Wasn't expecting to see any butterflies today since it's been rainy. But it is warm. Saw 2 monarchs on the asters.

Monarch

Monarch

Oct 6 2013

Fern Springs

Location: My home in Brockway
Jackson County

57 degrees, 5:45 PM, partly overcast

Cabbage White

Cabbage White

Oct 7 2013

Mike Reese

Location: Wautoma
Waushara County

I saw a butterfly in my back yard and it turned out to be a new yard butterfly and my FOY Purplish Copper!

Oct 7 2013

Chris West

Location: along a road next to the county fairgrounds
Richland County

Oct 7 2013

Ellen Bev Forbes Smith

Location: driveway on E Jefferson St Oconomowoc
Waukesha County

Oct 7 2013

Judith Huf

Location: Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Milwaukee County

Mild and sunny.

Oct 8 2013

Nancy Nabak

Location: Osprey Point, De Pere
Brown County

Common Buckeye

Common Buckeye

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

Oct 8 2013

Sylvia Edlebeck

Location: Tiedeman and Strickers Ponds, Middleton
Dane County

Mid-70s and sunny, a perfect day to be outdoors.

Cabbage White

Cabbage White

Orange Sulphur

Orange Sulphur

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Monarch

Monarch

Oct 8 2013

Stan Rehm

Location: Glenway Golf Course
Dane County

More butterflies than birdies.

Oct 8 2013

Jim Ebner

Location: garden , my residence Okauchee Lake
Waukesha County

First Fiery Skipper of the year! Clouded Sulfurs enjoying good flight, with Orange Sulfurs much scarcer.

Fiery Skipper

Fiery Skipper

Oct 8 2013

Jym Mooney

Location: Havenwoods State Forest, Milwaukee
Milwaukee County

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Common Buckeye

Common Buckeye

Oct 8 2013

D Nussbaum

Location: Neenah Historical Society Gardens
Winnebago County

10:15 to 10:30. The Celery Looper never stopped flapping.

Celery Looper

Celery Looper

Common Buckeye

Common Buckeye

Oct 8 2013

Janet Mueller

Location: 12 miles east of Bloomer, Cornell Lake
Chippewa County

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Oct 8 2013

Pamela Skaar

Location: Field next to 2802 Agriculture Drive, Madison, WI 53718
Dane County

3:30 PM traveling 20 min (1 mile). 74 F. SSW wind 11 mph

Oct 8 2013

Dan Sonnenberg

Location: My Yard
Marquette County

70° Sunny.

Oct 9 2013

Pamela Skaar

Location: field next to 2802 Agriculture Drive, Madison, 53718
Dane County

3:30 PM, 1 mile in about 20 minutes, 72 F, S wind 8 mph.

Oct 9 2013

Stan Rehm

Location: Fitchburg residential butterfly garden
Dane County

Four monarchs at the same time is the most we have seen in one area all season long. All were nectaring on New England Aster. A refreshing sight.

Monarch

Monarch

Oct 9 2013

Stan Rehm

Location: Fitchburg residential butterfly garden
Dane County

Nectaring on New England Aster; a first-ever for our garden.

Gray Hairstreak

Gray Hairstreak

Gray Hairstreak

Gray Hairstreak

Oct 9 2013

Donna Wirth

Location: Middleton
Dane County

I spotted these butterflies on my garden mum.

Common Buckeye

Common Buckeye

Common Buckeye

Common Buckeye

Oct 9 2013

Dan Sonnenberg

Location: Olbrich Gardens
Dane County

74° Sunny.

Great Spangled Fritillary

Great Spangled Fritillary

Common Buckeye

Common Buckeye

Monarch

Monarch

Oct 10 2013

Judith Huf

Location: Urban Ecology Center, Riverside Park
Milwaukee County

Sunny and mild.

Oct 10 2013

Douglas Buege

Location: Tenney Park
Dane County

Oct 10 2013

Jim Ebner

Location: Lake Drive west, Okauchee
Waukesha County

Red clover patch, about one half acre. Many Day Moths. Spent about 30 minutes enjoying wholesome numbers of butterflies. Nothing rare!!!!

Fiery Skipper

Fiery Skipper

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Monarch

Monarch

Oct 10 2013

Ron Arnold

Location: my property plus surrounding property in the town of Seneca
Wood County

74 degrees today.

Oct 10 2013

Mike Reese

Location: Horicon NWR
Fond du Lac County

On the north side of Hwy 49 watching birds and butterflies. Monarchs were all migrating south across Hwy 49.

Oct 10 2013

Karl and Dorothy Legler

Location: Olbrich Botanical Gardens
Dane County

Oct 10 2013

Robbye Johnson

Location: bog
Douglas County

Dainty Sulphur

Dainty Sulphur

★ = New county photo record

Oct 11 2013

Judith Huf

Location: Lake Park
Milwaukee County

Very early about 9:30 am. Sunny and mild.

Oct 11 2013

Karl and Dorothy Legler

Location: Cassville
Grant County

75 degrees and windy. Dainty Sulphurs associated with sandy/gravelly shores of water. Heard Scissors Grinder (cicada). (Heard in Lancaster also.) Russet-tipped Clubtail (dragonfly) Dorothy's photos.

Fiery Skipper

Fiery Skipper

Bronze Copper

Bronze Copper

Dainty Sulphur

Dainty Sulphur

Oct 11 2013

Karl and Dorothy Legler

Location: From Prairie du Chien to Ferryville
Crawford County

72 degrees and windy. The Dainty Sulphurs seemed to be primarily associated with and near the sandy/gravelly shores of water bodies.

Oct 11 2013

Dan Sonnenberg

Location: Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie
Dane County

70s and very windy. Followed the largest male Orange Sulphur I have ever seen for 10 minutes. (solid orange with solid black edge when viewed from top. Only saw it flying. Bottom of wings drab orange.) No picts. The size of a Great Spangled Fritillary. Dwarfed(3-4X) the Clouded Sulphurs that would fly up beside it. 2+X the size of the other O.S.s(or largest female I have ever seen) Maybe another day.

Oct 11 2013

Sylvia Edlebeck

Location: Monticello, Montesian Garden AND rural roads near Monticello and New Glarus
Green County

I have never seen this many clouded sulphurs in one day. They were everywhere, in the garden and along the roadways. Quite a few flowers were still blooming in the garden. Marigolds seemed to be the nectar source of choice, followed by zinnias.

Fiery Skipper

Fiery Skipper

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Common Buckeye

Common Buckeye

Cabbage White

Cabbage White

★ = New county photo record

Oct 11 2013

Sylvia Edlebeck

Location: Shea Prairie, south of Blue Mounds
Iowa County

Quite a few prairie plants still blooming. Lots of butterflies, with clouded sulphurs being the most numerous.

Common Checkered-Skipper

Common Checkered-Skipper

Oct 11 2013

Mike Reese

Location: Rotary Gardens
Rock County

Common Buckeye

Common Buckeye

Sachem

Sachem

Monarch

Monarch

Oct 11 2013

Rose Tiegs

Location: Newport state park
Door County

American Copper

American Copper

American Lady

American Lady

Oct 12 2013

Jorgen Goderstad

Location: Lake Farm Park
Dane County

Oct 12 2013

Ron Arnold

Location: my property in the town of Seneca
Wood County

Oct 12 2013

Dan Sonnenberg

Location: My Yard & Marsh
Marquette County

68° Sunny & windy.

Monarch

Monarch

Monarch

Monarch

Oct 13 2013

Peter Fissel

Location: Brookyn SWA
Dane County

Walked part of a field on the north side of Bell Brook Rd. Not much blooming except around the parking area

Oct 13 2013

Ron Arnold

Location: my property in the town of Seneca
Wood County

Oct 13 2013

Jaye Nelson

Location: Main Street driving south just past the Zoo
Racine County

Sunny day, no clouds, no wind, temp 60, time 3:00. Driving on Main Street toward the center of town spotted a Monarch crossing the road about at windshield level. Slowed down to avoid mashed Monarch. Other than frequent Cabbage whites this is the first sighting in Racine for me since First part of August.

Oct 13 2013

Jim Ebner

Location: Several blocks west of my residence. (Okauchee)
Waukesha County

Windy , sunny, temp in the upper 50's.Clover field. No Monarchs, but Sulfurs very active.
Silver-spotted Skipper enjoyed my lawn chair (Oct. 12) after nectaring on dwarf zinnias.

Silver-spotted Skipper

Silver-spotted Skipper

Orange Sulphur

Orange Sulphur

Oct 14 2013

D Nussbaum

Location: Buboltz Nature Preserve
Outagamie County

Walked the outside perimeter trails. More caterpillars than butterflies and moths. The Musclewood was in its prime.

American hornbeam

American hornbeam

Woollybear

Woollybear

Isabella Tiger Moth caterpillar

Isabella Tiger Moth caterpillar

Clouded Sulphur

Clouded Sulphur

Oct 14 2013

Stan Rehm

Location: University Ridge golf course
Dane County

One lone Monarch, heading south as fast as he can.

Oct 14 2013

Mike Reese

Location: Necedah NWR
Juneau County

Sprague Mather and Goose Pools area only. 15 eagles including 13 immature eagles.

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

Oct 14 2013

Douglas Buege

Location: Tenney Park
Dane County

Oct 14 2013

Judith Huf

Location: Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Milwaukee County

Cool and sunny. More Sulphurs today than I have seen here all this summer.

Clouded Sulphur

Clouded Sulphur

Oct 17 2013

Jim Otto

Location: Wazee Lake Recreation Area
Jackson County

This was mainly a bird watching trip, but I did spot a few sulphurs flying after the cold morning fog cleared out.

Clouded Sulphur

Clouded Sulphur

Oct 19 2013

Mike Reese

Location: Necedah NWR
Juneau County

Also saw a lady but it got blown away in the wind before I could get a good look at it.

Oct 19 2013

Judith Huf

Location: Lake Park
Milwaukee County

All the butterflies were on the soccer field down at the lake front feeding on dandelions. Sunny but not real warm, occasionally breezy.

Monarch

Monarch

Common Buckeye

Common Buckeye

Oct 22 2013

Jim Ebner

Location: Along Hwy 67 by pass thru Oconomowoc
Waukesha County

Open sunny patch . 49 degrees.

Oct 22 2013

Jeff Raflik

Location: Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary, West Bend, WI
Washington County

While on the trails at Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary, I flushed a Clouded Sulphur. It made a circle around me, and landed where it came from, right next to another. It was mostly sunny and calm, and the forecast called for a high of 44.

Clouded Sulphur

Clouded Sulphur

Oct 26 2013

Ron Arnold

Location: my property in the town of Seneca
Wood County

Oct 26 2013

Judith Huf

Location: Lake Park
Milwaukee County

At the soccer field along the lake front again this morning to look for birds. I was surprised to see a few butterflies after the cold weather we've been having. It was sunny, windy, and a bit warmer this morning.

Oct 27 2013

Dan Sonneberg

Location: Our woods
Marquette County

50° Sunny. Checking trail cams. Both in the same spot. May have been more than 1 comma.

Oct 27 2013

Douglas Buege

Location: Goodman Community Center
Dane County

Oct 27 2013

Karl and Dorothy Legler

Location: Cassville
Grant County

Also saw a white female Sulphur. It is always amazing to find Dainty Sulphurs persisting at the end of the year, after several evenings of temperatures in the 20's. They are so small they can't hold heat very well, and being immigrants they are built for warmer climes! We've seen them in late January and February in Texas which suggests they might overwinter as adults like some other Sulphurs. Perhaps here in Wisconsin the last generation simply outlives the adult stage of our permanent residents (except Anglewings, etc.) Just guessing.

Orange Sulphur

Orange Sulphur

Clouded/Orange Sulphur

Clouded/Orange Sulphur

Oct 27 2013

Jim Ebner

Location: Pabst Farm Oconomowoc
Waukesha County

Grassy area, green but stubbled. Strong west wind. All Sulphurs carried eastward by wind and I was unable to secure pics.

Oct 27 2013

Mike Reese

Location: Hancock Park
Waushara County

I stopped to check out the baseball field on County GG which usually has dandelions and other weedy species in flower in late October, and a good spot for late season butterflies. I saw a butterfly as soon as I stepped out of my car! 3:15-3:45

Oct 27 2013

Judith Huf

Location: Veteran's Park
Milwaukee County

Birding was lousy today despite the beautiful sunny, mild (50 F) weather, but there were butterflies to compensate. Still a few flowers: clover, dandelions, and asters.

Eastern Comma

Eastern Comma

Oct 29 2013

Dan Sonnenberg

Location: My yard
Marquette County

50° Mostly Cloudy. Slow awkward fluttering, but a perfect landing. Found a snake skin at the top of the compost bin.

Oct 29 2013

Jim Ebner

Location: Pabst Farm, Oconomowoc
Waukesha County

Same location as Oct 27..In five minutes spotted three Clouded Sulfurs..all the white female form.
Temp about 50 degrees, with much calmer winds.

Oct 31 2013

Ellen Bev Forbes

Location: under canopy at front door of 211 S Concord Rd Ocon
Waukesha County

It was flying through and decided to stop for awhile during a rainstorm and try to dry off.