October 2016 Sightings

Found hiding butterflies and flushed others in a light rain storm.

At the base of a Butterfly Bush along the road, I saw an Eastern Tailed-Blue flying through the wet grasses.

Flushed a classic 'Rosa Form' buckeye, discovered a Red-banded Hairstreak and a very large, Spicebush Swallowtail Cat partially within Sassafras leaves. It was raining the whole time for this trip!

An exciting find of a Common Checkered-Skipper in this vacant lot. This skipper is not plentiful in Cape May County any time of the year.

Another lone Monarch floating on the breeze despite the drizzle.

There were, at least, 14 active butterfly species here this day. My favorite finds were a female White Hairstreak and a female Summer Azure.

Butterfly explosion in the afternoon when the sun came out

No adults found here today, but two Monarch cats found on Tropical & Common Milkweed.

Overcast with a few brief peeks of sun.
One Monarch was freshly emerged. Cloudless sulphur spent a good amount of time in the garden mostly on salvia.

While birding I noticed a few species of butterfies.

E. Tailed Blues did well through wind and 4.5" of rain. First Red Admiral in my yard in a long time was a rag.

Overcast day but calm to light winds. Temps in 60's.

I told this cloudless sulfur it has permission to go to the great butterfly beyond because it had done its job! The caterpillar is a Stinking Rose Caterpillar. It was on Sassafras. Sun and clouds between 130 and 330 this afternoon

male monarch released–6 more chrysalids to go. 4 black swallowtail cats on parsley.

Hoping the Cloudless Sulphur butterfly is the one that emerged this week!

[Moderator's Note: check out the photo of a American snout chrysalis! This is the first photo of that stage that I can remember on our log. Anyone out there have a similar one? Please let me know, if so. jc]

Misty moisty and overcast

Misty moisty and very overcast, so surprised to see anything in our 1 hour walk.

Ocola Skippers and Fiery Skippers were common in this garden. The Long-tailed Skippers hanging out in the garden for the longest time was an amazing event for our group of folks participating in a program called Late Season Butterflies.

Butterfly explosion continues - FOS Long=tailed Skipper in my yard. Mating Monarch's, mating Black swallowtails, mating Red Admirals and more plus over 2 dozen Monarch cats on Swamp Milkweed plus 5 Monarch chrysalis, 19 Black Swallowtail Cats and 6 BS chrysalis

Just a quick look off the back loading dock today.

Monarchs released: 3 females, one male

77 degrees, 4:30-5:15 pm. Most nectaring on white snakeroot. Orange sulphurs in large soccer field. All Red Admirals were fresh.

Outstanding butterfly day!! many monarchs in the garden including 10 that were tagged by Monarch Watch tagger.

Marilyn Henry and I walking the area. Partly sunny, 75 degrees, calm to light NW winds. The Goldenrods were the main nectar.

Three FOYs in the yard in early October! Unfortunately, the Long-tailed Skipper stayed very briefly. This was only my third record of Viceroy in 13 years I've lived here! It spent a long time nectaring on Buddleia. The Fiery was a fresh-looking male.

Again no adult butterflies when I arrived home. Did observe 3 additional Monarch cats. Now finding two feeding on Tropical Milkweed and 2 on Swamp Milkweed.

Area near historic buildings, (not Smith's Woods side).
9:30-11:30am.

looking south from the Fairgrounds parking lot towards the edge of the open fields (of the County's Barker's Brook Natural Resource Area). 2:00pm, got very cloudy and dark by 2:30pm