Butterfly sightings for July 2014

A good day running on the trail today.

As usual the Common Wood-Nymphs stay low but persistence can pay off like this one. I had one land on my hand yesterday but a little close for the 100-400 mm. lens I use.

10:30-11:15 am, lower 70s, windy, partly sunny. A pleasure to see so many common wood-nymphs

This is our annual Mud Lake NABA butterfly count. This was the 26th year! The butterflies were very good, a surprise considering the bitter cold winter and the cold spring. The Audubon properties were covered by Mark Martin and Audubon Society counters. The rest of the circle was done by Peter Fissel, Jim Otto and the Leglers. We found 39 species and 1,059 butterflies. That is the 3rd highest number of species in the 26 years of this count.

A cooler day with a nice variety of butterflies. I saw plenty fly-by's that I'm not counting or IDing. Amazingly, this was the first White Admiral I've ever seen!

80° Partly Sunny. Never more than a few steps from the Ranger.

Strong winds off lake Michigan, scattered clouds.
A walk of the property revealed nine different species, and forty-three sitings! Most interesting to me was the melonic female form of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail!

I was mostly birding, but also kept a list of butterflies.

A monarch kept flying around the milkweed in my yard. She was uninterested in feeding, spending most of her time landing on leaves. I then realized that perhaps she was going to lay an egg and she did!

A cool misty day, with only a few butterflies. Walked the Summit Trail, most other trails were flooded.

More scouting for tomorrow's NABA count.

The sun finally came out this afternoon, so I decided to do some pre-NABA count scouting. I was hoping to find Bog Coppers at my best spot for them, and I did. I was very surprised to find a Two-spotted Skipper, this is the first one I've ever seen outside of Sandhill.

I was mostly watching birds, but also looking for butterflies, especially keeping an eye out for Regal Fritillaries, as the habitat seems like it could support them. This is the first time I've seen a Coral Hairstreak before, and it was cool to see one.
The weather was cloudy, windy, and, at the end, rainy. Not a very good day for butterflying, and most of the ones I saw were butterflies that I accidentally flushed.

It was well after 7pm when I observed the hairstreak nectaring on milkweed.

Not much out on this cold, wet, overcast day. Did find a beautiful Haploa Moth (lecontei perhaps?).

This was the 24th year for this count. It was a great day for hairstreaks and Two-spotted Skippers, scoring a hairstreak "slam" with all 6 resident species for the county. Acadian Hairstreak, Great Spangled Fritillary, Northern Crescent, Mourning Cloak, Eyed Brown and Monarch have been seen on each of the 24 counts.

PM Sunny with a few clouds, gusty winds. 2.5 acre, six year old native meadow reconstruction. Ten butterfly species, with 33 sightings! The most species I have ever seen at one time on this property.

Wonderful number of Baltimore Checkerspots. Most of them in a rather small patch of blooming flowers near the road. Also one Tiger Swallowtail sp., and two Blue sp.

11:30 to 2:45 Mostly sunny changing to cloudy.

Sunny, temp about 70, slight breeze. A beautiful day for a walk. Three YGoldfinches, a Twelve-spotted Skimmer dragonfly (It moved so is a bit blurry)

about 6:30 PM. Red Admiral was nectaring on basswood flowers.

Today a strange bright star appeared in the sky and I think it had some astrological influence on butterflies because all of a sudden there were more than I have seen all year. It was too bright to look at, but I got a photo. Besides butterflies there were many White-spotted Sable Moths and a few Ctenucha virginica Moths. Beautiful day!

Swamp Milkweed starting to bloom, how do they know?

Cold start to day. Late entry onto meadows 11:30am. Light winds. Partly cloudy early by 3pm 70% cloudy and activity dropped.

This segment of the Ice Age Trail is a wonderful place to watch butterflies! The Silvery Checkerspot was extremely worn. The Acadian Hairstreak was a lifer for me.

12:41 to 5:44 pm, 77-82 degrees F, 90% sun, wind south 6-12 mph. We walked 6 miles in the grassland.

28 people participated in this SWBA field trip. We found 25 species of butterflies and 12 species of dragonflies.

Lovely day! Warm, breezy and partly cloudy. My first C Buckeye of the season was a very worn one. Also had a few ? Skipper sp. and one Sulphur sp.

Perfect day! It would be impossible to order up a more pleasant Independence Day.

10:35 to 2:10. Many unidentified skippers, three bee stings, one tick and one lifer.

I also saw a Big Poplar Sphinx tonight at my yard light.

78° Sunny. A few hours here and there. Hobomok was very faded, but chased off a Banded Hairstreak to lay claim to the tire of the ranger. 23 species sighted at Summerton Bog in the hour and a half there.

Took a long walk with the dogs, so not as much time for butterflying.

Six regal fritillaries. Hooray!

Afternoon 3-6:15 Pm, Mixed Clouds & Sun, soft breeze. One hundred seventy-nine sightings, of twenty three different butterfly species, and also two day moths. There were hundreds of hairstreaks, too many to count just in the first mile of rural road, but I photographed "42" individuals, yielding, I think, three hair streak species. In one half hour stretch 5-5:30 pm I saw more Baltimore Checkerspots "16", then I have ever seen in my whole life! Day moths: in late afternoon 8 Ctenucha & a Spearmarked Black.

The Baltimore Checkerspots were very exciting! No pictures, unfortunately.

I'd never seen so many Compton's Tortoiseshells - Pat Ready and I had multiple individuals land on us, along with Eastern Commas

Sunny, Mild Winds, hot & humid! eleven different species and forty-two sightings over a two hour period, 11aM-1,15 PM

Spent most of hike watching Regals. The Checkered White was a recently emerged female.

The Red Admiral was hanging around my driveway very late in the day.

We have about an acre yard and have several species of milkweed throughout the yard. My neighbors mow any plants which pop up in their yards, so I pull the plants, check for eggs, and raise any I find. We raised about 20 last year however only 2 so far this year. I saw a Monarch yesterday visiting a wild milkweed and laying eggs. The butterfly in my picture we just raised and set free.

12:10 to 1:45. I think the strong winds kept the smaller butterflies hunkered down. Very different from yesterday.

I was showing my son the host plant for the Purplish Copper when it landed right by my fingers! Made my day!

Butterfly is on water hemlock.

Late Afternoon: not much activity, few butterflies, one dragonfly.

Two large patches of Swamp Milkweed, plus several scattered plants have been a butterfly bonanza bringing in lots of hairstreaks, and large patches of Vervain have brought in a lot of Silver-Spotted Skippers.

My biggest surprise, and a first for this location was a uncooperative Little Yellow in during the morning trip, but patience was rewarded with a decent ID photo.

What a difference between count day on June 30 and today. On count day we saw no Skippers at all; today they were many. (My camera ran out of juice and I had to take several pictures with a cell-phone so the quality varies.)

When I got home from Riveredge Nature Center on Saturday, I realized I had not seen a single Monarch there all day. Then I found this one in my own back yard. Monarchs are so scarce this year, that each one is precious.

Strong winds made it a less than ideal day for butterflies and birds, but I still found a few lovelies. The Monarch female was fighting the wind to deposit her eggs. The Yellow-throated Vireo was very unhappy with my choice of parking spots. I must have been very near his/her nest. Also, saw one Tiger Swallowtail sp. and a few Blue sp.

9am to noon. First time I've seen a mourning cloak nectaring.

mostly along Swamp Rd

76-74 F. SW wind 7 - 12 mph changing to S wind 15-22. high overcast. Traveled 1.2 mi and observed 13 bird species but only one butterfly.

68-76 F. S wind 7 - 12 mph with gusts to 19. Overcast to partly cloudy. Traveled 2.8 mile. 9:27 AM - 11:54 AM.

We saw lots of butterflies at the Germania Marsh on Saturday. The ones I've listed here are ones I was able to capture in photos. My monarch photos didn't turn out very well, but we saw several.

Bradley 7:54-8:27 am, 59-69 degrees F, 20% sunshine, wind south 2-10 mph.

This was our annual NABA butterfly count at Madison. Some of the day was overcast. 3 parties. 27 species. Thanks to the 13 counters!
Notice that this classic Hickory has virtually no white on the lower edge of forewing band. Photo by Ginny Nelson.

Baltimore Checkerspot on Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Finally saw my first Question Mark of the season! Went searching in the nettle patch and found 2 caterpillars plus several red admiral caterpillars as well. Also saw the 8 spotted forester caterpillars on wild grapes.

Edwards' Hairstreak feeding on butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Every time I get to Crex, the weather turns windy and cloudy.

These were all seen with no sun and rain threatening. The sulphurs were seen about a mile from my place.

While on a Prairie Enthusiasts bumblebee tour.

The light breeze kept blowing it off my zinnias, but it kept at it for at least an hour, from about 9 to 10.

A quick and successful trip to see my first Regal Fritillaries and Gray Coppers of the year. Also saw my FOY Painted Lady laying eggs on Nodding Thistle!

After three days of butterflying we thought we'd take a break. But today, in the morning, a dark swallowtail came into the yard and headed for our Dutchman's Pipe plant (Aristolachia tomentosa) and started laying eggs! It was a female Pipevine Swallowtail! If they manage to find our one plant there must be many coming into the state. So anyone with Aristolachia should keep an eye on it!

75 @ 9:10 Rain Shower at 11:15 but not enough to draw butterflies to mineral. Clouds rolled in approx 2 cutting my normal visit in half.

Also saw 2 large monarch caterpillars on the common milkweed

Saw monarch fly by while stopped at light.

Just a brief walk today.

There was so much activity this evening! 3 monarchs flying, nectaring, and chasing each other. Barn Swallows swooping with Red Admirals and a Painted Lady chasing each other, the monarchs and the barn swallows. Also the hummingbird visiting the feeder.

There were 9 hairstreaks on the milkweed just about 7 pm last night.

Walk cut very short by thunderstorm with hail!

1:20 - 3:00 pm, 72-76 degrees F, 60% sunshine, wind west 10-20 mph. Just Scott surveying the bog, but landowners (of the bog and prairie) Shelley and David Hamel joined me in some of the searching in the prairie. I greatly appreciate Hamels letting me visit their great habitats. Shelley has seen a Bog Copper here before, so today's findings confirm their persistence but does not establish a new site record. The Bog Coppers were on the bog, but everything else was in prairie/barrens. It is unusual to find Leadplant Moth within 1/4 mile of a Bog Copper! In much searching Ann and I had only seen about 15 Leadplant Moths in the previous 5 years, so this is a significant sighting.

3-4:30. Lost the sun by 4:00 and rain after I left.

Spotted a Mourning Cloak on a flowering tree at my office, which is right in top of the Milwaukee River, on River Woods Dr., at 2 pm. Tomorrow I will have to take my phone on my walk. I have never seen one before as I'm not an avid observer.

Saw the Red Admiral again, nectaring on catnip. The monarchs were in the common milkweed patch

Of course no camera, just my dumb phone.

The search for Northern Blue and Tawny Crescent failed! overcast and a bit breezy. Saw lots of crescents but no black antennae clubs. Almost all butterflies were perched.

Sunny and mid-70s. A perfect day. Monarchs everywhere. In addition to butterflies, saw many different dragonflies, including twelve-spotted skimmer and Halloween pennant. The highlight of the day was a new butterfly for me: a variegated fritillary. This individual was very worn, but its markings were still quite distinctive.

No Hairstreaks at the Sand Prairie today after several days of really nice numbers and photos.

The Mulberry Wing was found at a Lake WI Public Boat Ramp on the end of one the the Harmony Canals just a few blocks from the Sand Prairie,.

Lots of Sulphurs of both types on this sunny, mild day. Fields full of flowers, but strongly dominated by invasive White Clover. Found a lovely clump of Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora) in the woods.

Also saw another 15 unid. fritillaries.

Also saw at least 4 unid. hairstreaks, an unid. fritillary, many unid. robber flies (as well as a Efferia albibarbis), and a Big Sand Tiger Beetle.

They are loving the milkweed!

A Monarch took a look at the boat and then continued eastward.

82° Partly Sunny > Cloudy & rain. 3-4:30 PM
Quick scouting trip around the lake. One dark brown non-IDed Skipper also.

71° Sunny. Got word this morning that Bog Coppers were observed yesterday by Scott Swengel. Shelley Hamel had seen them in the past in the bog. Only there 45 minutes.

This was the 25th annual NABA Butterfly Count. We had 9 observers in 2 parties. We found 44 species which is in the upper quartile for this census. Highlights were Gray Copper, 39 Hickory Hairstreaks, Striped Hairstreak, Little Glassywing, Silvery Checkerspot, and Dion Skipper.

The American Coppers were very numerous along the main north-south trail. I finally saw my first Painted Lady butterfly of the year. I also saw some other grass skippers that I was unable to identify.

Late afternoon: Surprise and disappointing find was an "EMERALD ASH BORER" on a Scrub Oak along a semi-wooded section. A call has been made to report it.

Before noon. Spraying weeds on trails and then taking Doreen for a ride.

Warm and Sunny. Setting up Transect poles with Shelley. We have never seen an Azure on the prairie before. "If you don't think we have enough Common Wood Nymphs we will make more while you wait."

This was a brief afternoon visit. I wanted to share the photo of the Aphrodite Fritillary with the reddish underwings ("midwestern" form(?), per "Butterflies of the North Woods").

Also saw 2 large monarch caterpillars

Clouded up right as I arrived, then sun came out after 45 min. or so.

4:30 - 5:30, 82, sunny, breezy

82, sunny, breezy, 4:00

High 70's, sunny, 11:30 - 2:30. Stopped by on my way home from the airport, hoping to see some Baltimore Checkerspots. Did get to "see" a couple as they darted by. Cabbage whites were on the road leading into the park. There were a lot of tiny toads, about 1/2 inch in length.

Not a complete sighting list.

We were only able to go on the paved paths. There were hairstreaks on almost every butterflyweed clump, but many were too far from the path to identify.

8:26 am to 4:52 pm, 68-84 degrees F, 70% sun, wind southeast 10 mph. We walked 11 miles in the grassland.