Butterfly sightings for October 2016

Many Polygonia (15+) out right now, but I couldn't get definite IDs on most of them.

also 2 white female Orange/Clouded Sulphurs. Fiery Skipper was just not moving!

11:30-12:45, low 60s with some sun!

The farthest north this species has ever been reported in WI

4-5pm, some peeks of sun. Most butterflies were slow moving, you could pick them off the flowers.

61 F, 81 - 78% RH, overcast, NNW wind 9.2 mph changing to N 8.1 mph. 13:00-14:11 1.6 miles

Came out of the library to my car and noticed something yellow in the vegetation. Since I haven't been out butterflying since September 12, I got closer to see if it was a butterfly. It was. As I got closer (no binoculars) I thought maybe it was a clouded Sulphur but then I saw that the center spots were peculiar and then I noticed the diffuse line running down the middle of the underside of the Forewing. I saw it fly. It was a Cloudless Sulphur! I couldn't believe it! (No camera along, so maybe you won't believe it either!)

I also saw one white form of a clouded/orange sulphur.

Our first visit to this prairie. Nice to see a variety of butterflies in October. Will have to return next year earlier in the season.

Went looking for Coppers. Met more friends from the USFWS in the parking lot before going out.
Saw Painted Ladies in 3 of the 4 stops I made today. 15 species total for the day.

Have driven by this very large patch of zinnias on a number of occasions, but this is the first time we actually stopped and got out of the car to see what we could see. It was worth the stop.

Lovely flowers, perfect sunny day. After watching the butterflies, we sat by the river and watched the ducks and geese and 6 snowy egrets.

Went looking for Karl's Cloudless.

Saw Ann T. & Doug B. while looking for butterflies.

I also saw one white form of a clouded/orange sulphur.

Sunshine

I also saw one white form of a clouded/orange sulphur.

Late afternoon, sunny. Quick stop. Lots of clouded sulphurs enjoying the asters. Good to see a couple of skippers too.

I also saw one white form of a clouded/orange sulphur.

67 degrees at 1pm. Windy and sunny.

74° Mostly Sunny > Cloudy. Doing chores all day. Butterflies just seem to find me. It is amazing how much faded Female Fiery Skippers look like Female Sachems.

Early afternoon, sunny (before the clouds rolled in). Clouded sulphurs everywhere, mostly on asters.

Very fresh-appearing, nectaring on New England Aster.

Sunny but only 56 degrees. I was a bit surprised to see a fresh Red Admiral trying to bask in the garden.

The Monarch was flying when it was 45 degrees F. It was the only butterfly we saw.

3 hours. 50-57 degrees F, mostly sunny.

Got out early this AM(OK, 10 AM) and uncovered the zinnias after last nights frost. After I finished I got the mail and when I walked back past the zinnias a Monarch was flying to them. The temp gauge(s) said 45 degrees! And they are 6 to 7 feet above the ground. The Other butterflies waited until it got up into the low 50s before coming out.

I walked around the pond using the bike paths and Seminole Highway. Sunny and not much wind. Only New England aster was blooming in the prairie area.

Temperature around 55 F, accompanied by a moth and a few bumblebees

Cleaning out bluebird houses.

Tried to get a photo, but when I went outside I couldn't find it among the leaves. I usually see Mourning Cloaks this time of year. We have many host plants nearby (Cottonwoods and Elms) and Oaks (sap) for the adult butterflies.

Low 70's, sunny and breezy. One of the Commas landed on the hem of my shirt.

I was surprised to find a comma hanging on a dried weed in the ditch. It didn't move while I got closer, so I was able to capture pictures of the upperside and underside.

Early afternoon, sunny, upper 60s. Happened to be in Fitchburg, so stopped at my old stomping grounds, McKee Park. Not disappointed. McKee Park was where I saw my first ever sachem back in 2012, so it was like old times to see sachems today. Lots of nectar sources, with asters being the preferred flower. Also quite a few of the skippers visited some of the planted flowers near the Monarch Waystation. Fiery skippers especially liked the Mexican sunflowers.

A nice surprise on this bet fall day. Also 4 large garter snakes in the yard today! Good day to be outside.

Seen driving around on errands -- the swallowtail was flitting over a parking lot.

74° Sunny and Windy. Made my usual circuit around the yard. Finding the "uncommon" is not so uncommon here.

Morning, sunny, breezy, about 37 degrees F. Surprised to see butterflies in these temps.

Saw either an American or Painted Lady. It wouldn't stay still for a positive ID, very fresh looking. It was nectaring briefly on a dandelion.

65° Sunny. Saw the Eastern Comma looking for a place to spend the night.

50 degrees and partly sunny.

68 degrees and sunny.

A single butterfly feeding on Nasturtium flowers. About 2pm

Sunny, breezy about 47 degrees F. 10-11:30 am

We could not identify one dark butterfly that was flying high and into the light plus there were many what we think are Spotted Beet Webworm moths.

Also one suspected Question Mark, but I didn't get a close enough look at it.

74 degrees and cloudy.

68 degrees and sunny.

A small sampling of the butterflies at the gardens. Beautiful, mild day. Light breeze. High of 73. Noonish.

I also saw one white form of a clouded/orange sulphur.

Windy, about 55 degrees. Just a few Eastern Commas flying fast and low. This one positioned itself head-down on the trunk of a small tree in apparent effort to get a bit of warmth from the mid-day sun.

Pipevine was fresh and nectaring on buddleia

About as raggedy as a blue can get.

1 newly emerged male monarch

54 degrees and cloudy.

59 - 60 F, 49 % RH, WSW wind 10.4 - 8.1 mph. 13:45 - 14:52, 1.7 miles

Sunny, mid 60s, 3:15pm. Was seeing quite a few sulphurs, but was starting to get discouraged, not seeing anything else. But then I found the sachem and that made my day.

Mostly sunny, 56 degrees, south wind.

Sunny, 63. Thinking this could be the last hike to see butterflies, I headed to a favorite trail along which I had seen my first butterflies in spring. I was ruminating on the joys of butterflying when I spotted that distinct shade of orange against the bright green of the grass and other fall vegetation. Commas sunning in the late sunshine.

69° Sunny. My latest sighting of a Fiery Skipper.

61 - 67 F, 64 - 40 % RH, variable wind 5.8 - 12.7 mph. 11:45 - 13:45, 2.9 miles. Clouded sulfur was a white female. Cabbage white pair was mating in a flower filled sunny garden.

Sunny, 68 degrees.

57° Sunny. My latest sighting for a Purplish Copper & Fiery Skipper.

Sunny, around 2:15, mid-50s. Sometimes things don't go as planned. I was planning to go to a couple of places in Monona and McFarland, but there was a huge accident on the eastbound Beltline, so I had to switch my strategy. Since I was near Fish Hatchery Road, I got off the Beltline and headed over to McKee Park. I know I was just there a few days ago, but I thought I'd see if there were still any sachems around. There were. I saw three. I also saw one fiery skipper burrowing in the grass in a different area, and one clouded sulphur. (My new challenge to myself: how many sachems total can I see in 2016? Since they're not here every year, I figured this would be a worthwhile project. I'll need to go back and count how many I've seen previously this year. Quite a few. There's still time for a few more this year, if I'm lucky.)

On each of the past three days I have found a BST cat on the rue in our garden, one of them a rather early instar. Because of the late season, I've brought them in to finish feeding on cuttings under the warmth of a tensor lamp. When they form a chrysalis they will go out to the screen porch to chill for the winter.

Cooler day outside, but some nice butterflies were spotted!

Partly sunny and 53 degrees. I also saw two Banded Woolybear caterpillars and five Autumn Meadowhawks.

Still lots of flowers in bloom in this garden. How nice to see butterflies at the end of October. Especially enjoyed seeing the beautiful Monarch which looked to be in great shape. The Fiery Skippers were entertaining.

Hardly any nectar sources, hardly any butterflies. The highlight was a beautiful caterpillar, black swallowtail.

64° Partly Sunny. Thought that the freeze and 2+ inches of rain may have taken care of the last of the butterflies. Copper and Skipper were right were they were 5 days ago. It was too breezy to take a photo of the Copper so I tried to shield it with my hand. It climbed on. LOL!