Sighting for September 14, 2023

2:15-5:25 sunny and 80's with a breeze. White M Hairstreak is my New Jersey butterfly species #100! It's been an amazing journey!! I covered most of the wildlife drive in the car, but walked about a half mile near where the Hudsonian Godwit was reported. There were 7-8 Gray Hairstreaks feeding on Chinese Bushclover which had me on the lookout for the White Ms. A short distance away I spotted a hairstreak on a Groundsel tree with many Buckeyes and it turned out to be a White M! I stayed with the butterfly for some time and 2 others joined it, feeding in very close proximity (see photo). Two looked very fresh and one was just slightly worn. They remained stationary for long stretches but did fly several times and the blue flash was absolutely stunning to see. Eventually the Buckeyes and other bees/wasps chased off the hairstreaks but I did relocate 2 of them on Groundsel trees nearby. This would likely be a good place to check for higher numbers of the species. First Fiery Skipper of the year for me as well.

[Congratulations on your number 100, Dave, and thank you for sharing the info and the thrills of the chase. jc]