Butterfly sightings for March 2016

First butterfly of the year.

My first butterfly sighting of the year.

Great joy at the FOY butterfly!

My first butterfly of the year!

We found the Compton Tortoiseshell on our sunny back porch this morning. Brought it to the open and it flew off.

We noticed it flying around us and near rock outcrops as we descended from a small inland goat prairie area on a sunny, 60 degree day.

67° Sunny. Doreen and I took our 1st ride to the edge of the marsh with hopes of seeing a Comma. Fern Gulley is the go to place.

Rule #1 to see FOY butterflies: leave camera at home.

This is a nice trail, BTW, following riparian habitat along Badger Mill Creek (south of Verona Ave); should be productive in the summer.

FOY Compton Tortoiseshell

11am-3PM, low to mid 60's.
East Section: I saw a couple of butterflies in-flight on the but could not ID most likely, Comma. Also got my FOY Oblique-line Tiger Beetle, and a Northern Shrike.
West Section: Morning Cloak (couldn not get picture), and I had a moth really throw me off...opened/closed its wing on the gravel like it was puddling. Later ID'ed as an INFANT MOTH.

I've been looking for the FOY Mourning Cloak for the last few days with the temps in the 50s. Today I got my wish. Let the season begin!

I spotted it on the door inside our porch yesterday, and it was in the same spot today---probably due to the cold that came back with Snowstorm Selene. I saw this fellow here late last fall, so I imagine it wintered on the porch, which is always the location of my FOY.

A couple of days ago, I was pretty sure I saw a Mourning Cloak. But today I saw several repeatedly--floating on a near-still breeze, searching for warm spots to rest in the sun. I don't know the exact number. The high was 55; a partly cloudy day. I was out raking Oak leaves, and of course I didn't have my camera ready.

Two of the Mourning Cloaks were engaged in a courtship spiral which carried them above the treetops (a bit unusual in my experience).

Of note, the Arboretum is continuing its assault on underbrush (and some large trees). The field of view is 10-100X better than when buckthorn lined the trails. When the slash is replaced by prairie growth, the habitat for butterflies will be markedly improved. Stay tuned...

Sunny, low 60's. 1:30-3:30 Butterflies sunning on dried leaves on the hiking trail.

Mostly sunny, temps reaching 65F

First butterflies I've seen this year in northern Wisconsin! It took immense patience to get close enough to snap a picture, but it was worth it!

Wasn't expected 3 species of butterflies on my lunchtime walk today! 61 degrees out, on the heels of 5" snow just a couple days ago. Also had first spring peeper.

Compton Tortoiseshell at the edge of a water puddle on the park lawn - first butterfly of the season!