Recent sightings

Our first Long-tailed Skipper this year.

Great rebound for the butterflies with some sun and temps in the mid 70's. FOY both Ocola Skipper and Sleepy Orange. No image of the Sleepy Orange as I was showing my sister from PA the gardens. Later visitor to the gardens, KC found a Long-tailed Skipper which was refound for pictures. She was with TK. First Pearl Crescent seen here since early July. 8 species of caterpillar currently being seen in the yard.

[This certainly is an impressive recovery. Besides a long and interesting list, your property hit a southern grand slam: long-tailed, ocola, fiery and Brazilian (and a sleepy). It appears SJ is "losing" some of its southern migrants. Sleepy orange is a well documented resident now. Is Brazilian next on the list? -jm]

My sister Therese Hurter spotted the Long-tailed Skipper - a FIRST for my yard!! And, always nice to see an Ocola. Lots of Brazilian cats.

[Congrats on your yard's first long-tailed sk! And what a beauty. Will these southern visitors have a good year in SJ? -jm]

Today seemed to be The Day of the Ocolas as several people, myself included, had their first of the season. Cloudless Sulphurs, which seem to be having a great season, continue to lay eggs on Partridge Pea. The Red-banded H was mint-fresh which was interesting since the current brood is just finishing up. Overlapping broods?

9:30 to 1 pm. Mostly sunny. Mostly birding at the refuge today but recorded sightings from the auto drive and around the visitor center. Orange Sulfur count is estimate.

2:10 to 4:20 pm. Partly sunny. Except Monarchs, numbers were down from previous visit but expected with the cooler temperature.

A delightful hour with a spectacular garden!! Caterpillars of spice bush swallow tail, American lady , monarch, Brazilian, snout, cloudless sulphur!!!

Mint fresh hairstreaks and Pearl Crescent. After 3 days without adult Monarchs thrilled to have a female laying eggs. 14 Monarch caterpillars (large) easily found and probably many more. Found cat in "J" from the 14th to be parasitized by tachinid fly larvae (white strings are an indication). But found 2nd cat in J. Excited by 3 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks in the garden until one targeted a Monarch caterpillar and ate it (not surprised; at the winter roost in Mexico we watched Black-headed Grosbeaks eat adults with no problem). Our 1st Fiery Skipper (but dashed before photo). Found Brazilian Skipper cats and chrysalids.

[Sorry to hear that the grosbeaks are eating monarch cats. Please let them know that they welcome to come to my yard to eat the dozens and dozens of cabbage white cats that devour my kale. -jm]

Sept. has been very slow in garden and today’s cool temps and smoky skies didn’t help.

[It seems likely that our dimly lit smoky skies will slow down butterfly activity. It does, however, create interesting sunrises. -jm]

Cloudy day in the garden. Cool with temp's mid 60's. Butterfly numbers way down here. First day I haven't seen a Brazilian Skipper in several weeks.

Only the first RBH this year here. Used to be a common sighting in this garden. Only the 27th sp. here for the year, way below avg.

We searched the area of nectar across from the Lighthouse.

From 11:00-1:00. American copper is a new species for this location.

Sunny. Sightings at butterfly garden.

[Welcome to Joyce Cloughly, our newest observer/participant. -jm]

Sunny. Visiting a friend who lives at Lumberton Leas. Nice variety, including 6 Variegated Fritillaries. Good numbers of Sachem.

late in the day observations–have 8 monarch chrysalises and 2 small cats, 4 black ST chrysalises and a couple early instar cats on parsley and rue.

During an hour long walk we enjoyed the following.
All the Cloudless Sulphurs were moving north up the Delaware Bayshore. The Common Buckeyes were laying eggs in a robust stand of English Plantain on the road shoulder. We flushed the Common Wood-Nymph out of a lush stand of blooming Climbing Hempweed.

Question Mark (a rag) seen for the 3rd day. 10 large Monarch caterpillars easily found on Common Milkweed (probably many more under leaves). Plus one additional sizable Monarch caterpillar being sucked dry by a Wheel Bug. Refound 4 of the 5 Brazilian Skipper Chrysalids I'd found 2 days earlier (9-12-20)

Smith's Woods butterfly garden from 2:20-2:40pm.
1 monarch cat and 1 black swallowtail cat.

Butterflies observed between 9:30-12:00.

Looks like a common checkered skipper, Pyrgus communis.

[Yes, correct, Carol. Nice find! Also, good to see all those buckeyes in Ocean City – almost certainly southbound migrants. jc]

The Appalachian Brown visited fruit late in the day. 17 Monarch caterpillars easily found (probably many more under leaves). The Tersa Sphinx flew into our front door 2 evenings before and was refound and released today.

All clouds once again. There was a fresh tawny-edged sk which means the last brood is now flying here. For two days we have had a perfect lady-sized runt black st. We have had dozens of monarch cats and a dozen or so crysalises (I am sure there are more) which have resulted in fresh monarchs the past few days. Both the Brazilian and ocola gave me classic looks: 30 seconds of nectaring stillness each, then gone. The Brazilian, however, flashed through the yard at full speed a number of times.

Long-tailed skipper returned this afternoon. Seen on 3 different rounds of the garden today. Continuing good numbers of Common Buckeye. Excellent numbers of Sachems. What I believe is a White form Orange Sulphur is pictured. Cloudy today, humid about 75, winds about 12 MPH.

Common buckeyes everywhere now that New England, and other Asteraceae are in bloom. Have not seen Monarch cats since August 27th although Common Milkweed leaves are full of chew holes, some leaves eaten down to midrib.

A late day visit with total cloud cover at first and then a few peeks of sun later. Obs. made from 3:50 to 5:10 p.m. 79 degrees. Despite ample amounts of Woolly aphids this was only my 2nd Harvester sighting here this year. Found another female laying eggs about 12 feet high and at a difficult camera angle. This park is typically a good location for Peck's Skippers late in the season. Blue Mistflower is crowded out but still attracting some skippers. [Harvesters have been scarce this year with only three individuals being reported. It is good news that both of Dave's reports featured a female laying eggs. -jm]

Less Common Buckeyes than 9/10 but still great numbers. Large numbers Sachems remain in everywhere in the yard. Return of Horace's Duskywing.

Easily saw 16 large Monarch caterpillars today (hopefully this bodes well for this fall's migration)! And who knows how many others if I was really looking, inspecting under leaves. Lots of folded leaves on Canna (with Brazilian Skipper caterpillars in hiding), plus 5 Brazilian Skipper chrysalids, mostly on low-down leaves!

While in the yard found some interesting moth caterpillars including 3 different hornworms and the unicorn prominent. Pictured are the White-lined Sphinx moth cat (on common evening-primrose) and the Unicorn prominent (on red-osier dogwood).

Obs. made from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Mostly sunny and 74 degrees. Tawny Emperor made a surprise appearance on Thoroughwort.

[Emperors are drawn to you, Dave! I scrolled back through our last two years of sightings looking to see how many observers have managed to find adults of both emperors at the same site and same day. You are the only one of us who has managed that trick and you have managed it four times in a little over 12 months: here, earlier this year at Riverwinds on 8/30/20, then in your own garden in West Deptford 8/20/19, and again in your garden on 8/4/19. Very cool achievement! jc]

Cooler temps have slowed the activity

Incidental while botanizing. Pug caterpillar (Eupithecia, sp) feeding on disc flowers of showy aster.

High count on Sachems.

73 and cloudy after 3 days of heavy rain. Brazilians have been haunting my yard for a couple weeks and although I did not see today's Brazilian, in my rounds I found a fresh egg where I am positive there wasn't one an hour before. Fiery sk's have been here almost daily for weeks but today they were absent. The LT, which was in perfect shape, had tail coloring that I have not seen before.

[The long-tailed is a beauty and only our third reported in 2020. Re: the BZSK. Our Records & Sightings Committee will be meeting sometime in the next year or two to consider the question: Can you count the presence of an adult by the sudden appearance of eggs? A nine-hour debate is expected. ;-) jc]

Monarch: 6 chrysalises and 1 thinking about it; remaining caterpillars gone overnight.
Cloudless Sulphur: 2 cats

Drizzle most of day and some butterflies out in it but at about 3:30 PM the sun came out strong for about 1.5 hrs and the butterflies came out from everywhere. Temp high 70's and very humid. Common Buckeyes were all over with several mating pairs and others trying to horn in on the mating to no avail. Est count 110. Sachems were also everywhere and wanting to mate. Est count 75. 2 Brazilian Skipper' s chrysalis found with many nests. Other caterpillars in the yard (probable) American Snout, Question Mark, Black Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail, Cloudless Sulphur, American Lady, and Monarch.

[Such a festival of butterfly activity, including our first triple-digit count of buckeyes in a long time. jc]

Monarchs: 3 chrysalises and 10 cats; the "J" from yesterday was gone in the morning, only the cremaster remained

[Excellent find, RK! Our first hackberry emperor in BUR in more than a year (last reported there by Brenda Bruton at Taylor's Wildlife Preserve, Cinnaminson on 9-5-19). jc]

As of 3:45 PM today…
Monarchs: 2 chrysalisses, one "J" and 13 cats.
Black Swallowtail: 2 cats
2 Cloudless Sulphurs ovipositing.

great numbers of Common Buckeyes -front yard counted by Jenny and backyard by me at the same time with 87 counted though more around. Sachems are everywhere -est 100. 6 Cloudless Sulphurs at the same time is a record, though haven't seen an Orange Sulphur in months. Male Cloudless Sulphurs interested in mating but the females not so much. I thought I saw a Long-tailed Skipper while busy watching the CS but it went through really fast so not counted.

[Cool shot, Mike! ETST cats are usually photo'd in earlier instars – not this final "UPS truck brown" stage just before pupation. jc]

It seems like there have been fewer butterflies the last few days. Only out in the yard for short periods but did see lots of caterpillars- Monarch, Black Swallowtail and Sleepy Orange (also lots of eggs on Senna- Sleepy Orange most likely but some could be from Cloudless Sulphur). Pictured is Sleepy Orange cat-they usually hang out on the stem of the Senna or the midrib of the leaf where they are especially camouflaged.

Smith's Woods butterfly garden from 4:30-5:30pm, not much activity despite hot sun and plenty of nectar. 2 black swallowtail cats remaining.

From 9-11:00am

Lifer Sleepy Oranges, with female laying eggs on Wild Senna.

Found "nectaring" close to the entrance of a wild bee nest one foot off the ground in the deeply furrowed bark of a mature Willow Oak. This site attracts Anglewings and Red Spotted Purples as well..

[Good find, Fred! Only our 4th Appalachian brown in BUR in 2020 and our first there in almost two months (since 7/10/20, Tom Bailey in Medford WMA). jc]

Obs. made from 12:50 to 1:50 p.m. Mid 80's and sunny. Sleepy Orange may have been the same one sighted on 8/28/20

Brazilian Skipper Pupa today!
The Cloudless Sulphur emerged from the chrysalis yesterday.

[Cool shot! jc]

Walking mostly woodland trails from about 1-4pm.

Trying for an accurate sachem count… not easy.

Birding at the refuge during late morning till about 12:30. Count of sulfurs is best estimate.

1:45 to 4:45 pm. Sunny, @80 degrees, light breeze. Beautiful day.

A Tail-less Long-tailed Skipper visited my Garden this afternoon. Always a wonderful butterfly. And as Beth said the Warblers are feasting on the butterflies…especially the Sachems. I started the a.m. with 25+. Could only find 7 by 3 pm. The Redstart took 4 that I watched, with the Yellow warbler and Common Yellowthroat adding to the carnage.

[Yikes. Can we hope the birds leave the long-tailed alone – or maybe they already had a bite of it? jc]

Lots of sulphurs. High count for Cloudless. Only one swallowtail. Usually get 5-10.

While birding the wildlife drive. The Little Stint took over everyone's attention for sure, but I managed to notice these butterflies along the rest of the wildlife drive.

FOY Tawny Emperor here on fruit. Est over 75 Sachems here and lots of activity. Sachems are chasing most other butterflies off the plants. Est Buckeye count 28. All Fiery Skippers seen are female.

A brief late afternoon visit to the garden & adjacent fields. 4:35-5:05 p.m.

Obs. made from 3:15-4:25, Sunny 83 & breezy. Comma numbers still strong, but have dropped off from what they were on 8/30. Sachem numbers rising. Watched several Eastern Commas & a couple of Red Admirals in the company of Spotted Lanternflies. Captured one image of "Good bug-Bad bugs"

Activity light here this afternoon.

The cloudless sulphur was ovipositing.

Sachems continue to be extremely abundant and are taking to boneset plants and goldenrod in our meadow as well as butterfly bushes.

[Welcome to our newest observer/reporter, Steven Wajda. jc]

A second report for the day for the yard. Not repeats of any sighting. FOY Common-Checkered Skipper seen. Only second Variegated Fritillary seen this season.. Family of Common Yellowthroats is attacking/eating just about every caterpillar in the yard including Brazilian Skippers cats. Looper moths over running the gardens

Pictured is Cloudless Sulphur female.

3 to 4:15 pm. Residential flower garden. Sachem count is an estimate.

[Sachems surging in many areas in NJ right now. Triple digit counts for BUR here in RK's stomping grounds and also on 9-5-20 in Middlesex and Passiac Counties as logged on the North Jersey site. Double-digit counts everywhere. Our fall high numbers are often said to be migrants from southern states. But how many of these numbers are offspring of resident individuals – i.e. non-migrants? The sachem population in New Jersey has changed over last thirty years or so. Up into the 1990s sachems were considered fall migrants from the south. Now it seems we have both migrants and residents. jc]

FOY Long-tailed Skipper in the back yard this AM. 2 days earlier than my earliest record which was in 2019. Hoping for some other southern strays to head our way soon. Windy, sunny, temp 74.

[Congratulations, Beth! This is the first long-tailed reported to our log since you found our last one in your yard on 10-25-19. Nice to see! jc]