Butterfly sightings for March 2016

Mar 6 2016

Lois Ballard

Location: At my cottage, between Wautoma & Neshkoro
Waushara County

First butterfly of the year.

Eastern Comma

Eastern Comma

Mar 7 2016

Marcie O'Connor

Location: Lincoln Township - Prairie Haven Farm
Buffalo County

My first butterfly sighting of the year.

Eastern Comma

Eastern Comma

Mar 8 2016

Tim Fenske

Location: City of Middleton yard
Dane County

Mourning Cloak

Mourning Cloak

Mar 11 2016

Ginny Nelson

Location: Stricker's Pond
Dane County

Great joy at the FOY butterfly!

Mar 11 2016

Richard Ouren

Location: Ouren Farm
Grant County

Mar 11 2016

Mike Reese

Location: Necedah NWR
Juneau County

My first butterfly of the year!

Mar 11 2016

Kathy Kascewicz

Location: about 1 mile S of Fifield
Price County

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

Compton Tortoiseshell

Compton Tortoiseshell

Mar 11 2016

Erik Thomsen

Location: Perrot State Park
Trempealeau County

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.

Red Admiral

Red Admiral

Red Admiral

Red Admiral

Red Admiral

Red Admiral

Mar 11 2016

Dan Sonnenberg

Location: Our Farm, Oxford, WI
Marquette County

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.

Eastern Comma

Eastern Comma

Mar 12 2016

Phil Peterson

Location: Pope Lake SNA
Waupaca County

Mar 12 2016

Daniel Jackson

Location: Jackson Property 1/2 mile south of Chaseburg
Vernon County

The Infant

The Infant

The Infant

The Infant

Mourning Cloak

Mourning Cloak

Eastern Comma

Eastern Comma

Mar 12 2016

Stan Rehm

Location: Ice Age Scenic Trail, Verona segment
Dane County

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.

Mar 12 2016

Nancy Nelson

Location: North Sand Lake
Burnett County

FOY Compton Tortoiseshell

Compton Tortoiseshell

Compton Tortoiseshell

Mar 12 2016

Lester Doyle

Location: Spring Green Preserve SNA
Sauk County

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.

Northern Shrike

Northern Shrike

The Infant

The Infant

Obliqued-lined Tiger Beetle

Obliqued-lined Tiger Beetle

Mar 12 2016

K. Java

Location: Crex Meadows SWA
Burnett County

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!

Mar 24 2016

Anna Keller

Location: Location: Greenwood Township, south of Hillsboro
Vernon County

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.

Compton Tortoiseshell

Compton Tortoiseshell

Mar 26 2016

Patti Landmann

Location: Devil's Lake S.P.
Sauk County

Compton Tortoiseshell

Compton Tortoiseshell

Mar 28 2016

Beth Stetenfeld

Location: My Backyard
Dane County

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.

Mar 28 2016

Stan Rehm

Location: Grady "Kettle Hole Forest" of UW Arboretum
Dane County

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...

Mar 29 2016

Joan Vennie

Location: Blackhawk Ridge Lower Wisconsin Riverway
Dane County

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

Mourning Cloak

Mourning Cloak

Gray Comma

Gray Comma

Eastern Comma

Eastern Comma

Mar 29 2016

Jim Otto

Location: Black River State Forest, several locations
Jackson County

Mostly sunny, temps reaching 65F

Eastern Comma

Eastern Comma

Compton Tortoiseshell

Compton Tortoiseshell

Mar 29 2016

Nick Gremban

Location: Loon Rapids Road, Mountain
Oconto County

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!

Compton Tortoiseshell

Compton Tortoiseshell

Mar 29 2016

Ryan Brady

Location: Tri-County Corridor west of Ashland DNR office
Ashland County

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.

Mar 30 2016

Kay Moeller

Location: Sherwood County Park
Clark County

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