Recent sightings

Early walk through the meadow revealed three Monarch caterpillars, first and third instars. Heavy rains overnight might mean more leps in the coming days (a single Monarch adult seen at milkweed leaf this AM).

Mom told me her Zinnia patch has been buzzing with skippers this past week. I saw a few early this morning as clouds approached from the south. With temps still cool, several skippers. 2 Sachems & a Peck's took to the garage roof for heat absorption.

Only a few bugs with wet weather moving in

I was surprised at the numbers and diversity considering the weather. Overcast, occasional sun trying to break through. 76 degrees, easterly winds. Major storm approaching.

1:30-2:30pm
I had my assistant just count variegated fritillaries while I counted the rest of the species. This was certainly the most fritillaries I have ever witnessed at one time. 134 is not a typo. They were covering the white clover all along the edge of the field.

[Whew! I can't remember anyone reporting such a showing of var frits! jc]

12:30-1:00pm
Butterfly garden, Smith's Woods

A flyover

Obs. made between 3:30 & 4:30. Part sun & mid 80's. Increased aphid activity on many trees but no Harvesters observed today. Not much activity in the butterfly garden so far. They had flooding issues earlier in the season.

Obs. made from 12:45 to 2:45. mostly sunny and mid 80's.
Numbers still down from past years at this time but this location is likely the most productive in Glouco. Found a couple of Common Milkweed plants still blooming. Surprised to see no Emperors today. Also photographed a well camouflaged Tulip Tree Beauty.

Obs. made through most of the morning. E.tiger was a smaller than average male. Cabbage Whites are laying eggs on a potted Brussel Sprout plant.

3:30-5 pm, lovely, low-humidity afternoon in low 80s. Dozens of wasps, bees, and flies, and one juniper hairstreak, on hoary mountain mint. Monarch and variegated frit ovipositing – on common milkweed and passionvine respectively.

Took note of about the second Buckeye I've seen this year in my backyard.

Warm, breezy morning at the meadow. Most milkweed flowers are now completely wilted from drought, so only a couple of monarchs today. Thistle seems to be increasing, however.

Rare sk's becoming rare here. First Juniper here in three years.

During dragonfly program from 1-3:30pm; these were incidental sightings. The swallowtail and duskywing were nectaring on spotted knapweed. Also observed snowberry clearwing moths.

It's really picking my up in my yard! I have at least 8 monarch cats. One 2nd Instar and the rest 1st instars.

One Black ST was very worn and the second one was very fresh and laying eggs on fennel. Monarchs included one egg laying and one mated pair.
Broad-winged skippers seemed to be on every flower, sometimes 5 to 6 per blossom making it difficult to spot other skippers.

Several monarchs nectaring from abundant milkweed, although the drought has shriveled many of the flowers.

My first submission and my 4th tiger sighting for this season. This male was nectaring from a lone mimosa tree along the road accompanied by a black swallowtail.

4:40-6 pm, sunny & warm. More butterflies in the garden even in late afternoon. Noticed monarch laying eggs on C. milkweed on the trail and found some eggs. (also one caterpillar). Garden had: V. Frit., 2 Monarchs, Pecks, BW Skipper, C. white, Azure, Red Admiral, Sachem, Silver Spotted, Little W. Satyr, and Pearl Crescents just outside the garden.

Good activity even after 5 p.m. today. Pat observed another Monarch today, this one a female laying numerous eggs on Common milkweed. I saw what has to be the smallest ETB that I have ever seen in the garden. So tiny perched on top of a large pink Zinnia. Both male & female Horace's today as well.

Where are all the butterflies this year? We overwintered 3 black swallowtails successfully. Their eggs were eaten and 5 caterpillars eaten. Always had black and yellow, spicebush and pipeline swallowtails, red admirals, painted ladies, red spotted purples, fritillaries, and buckeyes, viceroys and monarchs on our budleahs. Next to nothing this year..what is happening??

Around 1:15 pm, had my cell. Liatrus ligulistylis "Button Snake Root", cultivar "Monarch" is an all-butterfly magnet. The Pecks Skipper is on Liatrus spicata. Activity may pick up after our first rain here in 20 days.

A beautiful afternoon in the garden!

Partly sunny, 78 degrees or so. NW winds. I was mainly birding. 6 of the Sleepy Oranges were in the known Senna field. The other two were singles I presume looking for new Senna fields. One was south along Middle Marsh Lane. The other was along a dirt road off of Back Neck Rd.

Nice to see butterflies starting to fly down here at the point!

All the royalty (Monarch, viceroy, emperor) showed up this morning on this short visit to this wonderful garden. 11 to 1145 AM
Almost everything nectaring on Summersweet clethra

Again Pat observes a Monarch. Dave has yet to see one in the garden this year. Only Cabbage whites and a Red Admiral seen after early evening rains.

10 -10:45 am, mid-80s, humid. All butterflies nectaring on Canada thistle.

not camera shy

Smith's Woods
10am-12
All butterflies seen inside garden except for the common wood nymph, which was on the side of a tree at the forest edge. Monarch, spicebush swallowtail, and silver-spotted skipper feeding on butterfly bush. Variegated fritillary feeding on black-eyed susan.

A fresh RSP on the fruit dish tonight. Pat observed a nice female E.Tiger earlier in the day.

Taking a break from pulling poison ivy in the garden for a late day 430 to 5:30 PM walk on the trails. Had to dash around a few raindrops. Was also treated to a turkey hen and her poult….

After the rain the sun came out and about 87°

Observations from 2:00-4:30pm. Sun was increasing as our visit went on. We walked the trail along the river through the beech forest starting from the butterfly garden area. We searched unsuccessfully until our return. The area we found the pair of Harvesters was about a quarter of a mile from the butterfly garden and a short distance downhill and to the right from the trail intersection with the large tree in the middle. There was a sizable clearing with downed trees across the path. There were two Beeches loaded with Aphids. The Harvesters went back and forth between the Beeches and the nearby Mountain Laurel. The Mountain Laurel was actually the favored perch.

I too had to call out sick from Butterflying the past few weeks but a Fun day out and about today.
As Dave A mentions TNC Eldora is a great garden.
Spent an hour just walking round and round.

Huge surprise to find a Juniper Hairstreak here as the nearest Cedars are 1/4 mile away.
Rare Skipper here also is odd.
Lots of Nectar…Lots of Fun!

Walking around the north end of the place. Sunny, 88 degrees, SW winds. With Marilyn Henry. Early afternoon. Seemed slow numbers-wise.

Stopped here briefly after 2:15 p.m. Action picking up in the garden. The Pearl Crescents were just outside the enclosed garden.

Gloucester County Certified Gardeners held a butterfly festival at the park this afternoon. Lots of great plants on sale from Triple Oaks in Franklinville. Long line of families waiting to get into the small butterfly house. Pat spotted the Hackberry Emperor as we were leaving the parking area.

Pretty much the same cast of fliers today but traded yesterday's spicebush for a couple of commas. Also had a mated pair of Cabbage Whites, and good action on my fruit dish: RSP, Red Admiral, & E.Comma.

Two flying together as I watched from porch.

Found a fresh dark Tiger female & a fresh male Spicebush on Mimosa. Hackberry Emperor was in a dog fight with an anglewing before it settled on a perch up in a cottonwood tree.

Obs. approx. 2:50 to 3:40 p.m. sun & mid 80's. Activity has dropped way off since my last visit on 6/24. Dry and nectar sources now scarce. One Comma was imbibing willow sap. Skippers were all on Pickerelweed

Obs. made between 2:15 & 2:45 p.m. Variegated Frit. was a female tasting passion vine just outside of the garden gate.

The best day so far in the garden. Nectar sources drying up in the wild locally is driving more into cared for gardens now.

Nice coolness today in garden. This Pearl Crescent was nectaring among tall N.E. asters and Gaillardia pulchella (Firewheel) around noon.

On Wildlife drive

Brief visit, as I was trying to get out of the area before the shore traffic build-up.

Dions were fresh and still seemingly still drying their wings. Didn't venture too far in, as they came up in numbers immediately.

Sweet Pepperbush on the edges is nearing flowering and will be a great attractant in the next week or so.

88 degrees and partly cloudy. 4:45-5:30 pm. Not much nectar here.

During children's program, 10am, butterfly garden
Both clearwing sphinx moths were also present.

2:00- 2:30. Have barely been out the past weeks due to illness, but finally got to these powerlines. Once again, it is rich with variegated frits, many which were laying eggs on a plant that I do not know. When I came home, my granddaughter pointed out that cabbage white in the corner of a sundew photo I took.

Spent much of day exploring the yard with granddaughter Alice with a strong concentration of studying emerging and new cats. My dill and parsley are loaded with dozens of Black ST eggs. My milkweed is loaded with Monarch eggs; I bring in many of the eggs as they rarely escape predation in my gardens. The emerging Monarch cat appeared to be nibbling on its egg casing. In one of Black ST photos you can see a cat wriggling out of the egg casing (all of ST cat photos have eggs present). And for good measure, a three-spotted cabbage white (Tomlinson form).

The Beavers are gone and the water level is dropping. Interesting bogs but very hard walking.

[Nice to see our first report of Dion skippers for 2018! jc]

90 degrees, 4:45-6:15 pm. Partly cloudy but humid. In addition had on monarch cat and an egg on c. milkweed on the trail.

Monarchs observed every day this week!
Smith's Woods butterfly garden. In addition to seeing the monarchs back on the milkweed and one still finding nectar from common milkweed flowers, we saw a hummingbird clearwing moth and a milkweed tussock moth caterpillar.

Best day for butterflies in my backyard for 2018 so far. One monarch, one variegated fritillary, and one wild indigo duskywing all ovipositing on appropriate plants (butterfly weed, violets, and yellow and false indigos. Duskywing took a nectaring break on some Liatris.

I have appreciate skippers more than I ever have. I only saw 5 this year when I used to have hundreds. Although everyday another shows up and there's plenty of time left.

Smith's Woods butterfly garden vicinity, 9:20am
Monarchs landed on milkweed, no egg laying observed.

"Summer" Spring Azure rose up from grassy edge near perennial Lupine patch while hand watering, 8am. Spicebush Swallowtail by fish pool under Tulip Poplar. Monarch stayed about 20 minutes flying fast in loops as I chatted with neighbor, 7pm.

It's been slow here, but it's starting to pick up. hundreds of bees this year.

Finally spoke with someone related to the new property ownership today. Let them know about the special nature of their property and the Bronze Coppers found upon it. I was given permission, temporarily, to keep monitoring the colony, but whether I can continue beyond today is still an open question.

Broad-winged Skippers dial counted.

First Monarch sighting in the garden this year.

One monarch cat. into "J" plus 2 additional. First sachem spotted here–using bee balm and c. milkweed.

During nature program with teenagers. Great spangled fritillary was a big surprise. This was the first time this species was recorded at this park, and the latest date for GS frit I have ever observed.

Surprised to see a RSP cruising around at 8:23 pm.

At work today. All the skippers were on two small Buttonbushes.