April 2016 Sightings

There were 6 Orange Sulphurs and a Cabbage White flying about.

A Cabbage White bounding around in the dunes

Saw an Azure species checking out Pussy Willow Blossoms.

Drive through counting sulphurs in flight.

Spotted butterfly on flowers of redbud tree. Special thanks to Jack Connor for ID.

Moderator's Note: Welcome to the Project, Lynn Maun, our newest contributing observer!

And check out Lynn's photo, everyone. Could this Henry's be looking for a spot to oviposit? Redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a primary host of the species to the south and west of NJ – but apparently not common enough here to serve that role (where hollies and blueberries are considered the primary hosts). With so many Henry's around this year, can we document some ovipositing with photographs? Please post if you succeed at that.

Falcate Orangetip was a male. Blueberry Azures were marginata form except for one lucia form. Observed 11 Henry's Elfin swirling around a single American Holly. Henry's Elfins included two "viridissima" form individuals.

Moderator's Note: Among his many other good finds, Dave Amadio has kicked off our "Holly Azure Season" with his report of that species and his excellent shot showing that species' overall brightness (in comparison to blueberry azures.) Nice going, Dave! Watch out, everyone, ID'ing azures now gets even harder!

Counted 36 Orange Sulphurs up and flying with one sweep of the binoculars through the field - population keeps increasing!

2:30-4:00 pm. Temp ~70F. Little wind. Highbush blueberry beginning to bloom locally, so spent a timed hour at one shrub to see what it would draw. Discovered that made censusing hard. While half a dozen or more azures engaged in "dogfights" or courtship chases around and above the shrub, out of sight and then back again, three female blueberry azures oviposited in those 60 minutes. Two dipped their abdomens to unopened blossoms 12 feet/tip-top of shrub; other did so at eye level (photo), but I couldn't find the egg. Needed Will Kerling's sharp-eyed assistance! Also walked the dirt road for ~30 minutes. All azures ID'd to species were "marginata" blueberry azures. At least one azure (photo'd) had me wondering about the possibility of a holly azure, C. idella. But it's still early in season and some darkness is just visible on forewing, so I suspect it was "violacea" C. lucia. No other butterfly species found.

Found 7 butterfly species on this road in the forest. The best sighting was a mint fresh Silver-spotted Skipper.

There were two Henry's Elfins struggling for territory in a Pine Tree, 3 Cabbage Whites patrolling and 2 Azure species inspecting native Dogwood buds in a forest surrounding a house. It is surprising that a place semi-wild is so close to downtown CMCH and such a busy highway connecting the town to Rte. 47.

Looked like the sun might cooperate late in the day, but when I arrived clouds took over. Flushed an anglewing or admiral from the path as well.

An anglewing flew out from under a barbershop's awning in strong winds and roughly 41 degrees this morning.

Cabbage White was patrolling the dune for a very, long time.

1:30-3:00 pm, mostly overcast, ~62F, light/moderate winds. Elfin probably a Henry's. All azures seen well were "marginata" blueberry. 6 of o'tips male; others undetermined.

I have bicycling up my street to this dirt road every March and April since 1990, to search for anglewings and azures. Have never recorded falcate orange-tips until last week. Have the deaths of hundreds or thousands of pitch pine in forest there over past five years (from southern pine beetle) been a factor – by opening up the canopy? The mustard Cardamine hirsuta (potential host) is numerous along forest/road edge, but maybe it's always been there and went unnoticed until o'tips began nectaring on it. Maybe it's just a good year for falcate orangetips throughout South Jersey.

3PM walk. Good numbers of Henry's Elfin and Azures.
A few Henry's showed some green speckling on the front of the HW.
Thoughts on the Sulphur?

Lots of Azures. Only Holly was visible along the trail

Recorded 8 butterfly species on this forest road. They were FOY Holly Azures (3) on the road, 10 Cabbage Whites (Dandelions), an American Lady (Dandelions), an Orange Sulphur (Dandelions), 4 Henry's Elfins, 6 male Falcate Orangetips (Speedwell and a Cress species), a male Juvenal's Duskywing nectaring on Self Heal (saw underside very well)and 5 Azure species (not Holly Azures - 1 or 2 different species).

QM landed right by my feet and walked around for a while.

FOS Am. Lady was worn and small. She was egg-laying on a barely emerged Cudweed sp.

A Cabbage White was flying along Rte. 47.

Saw my FOY Clouded Sulphur. They are hard to come by in the winter/spring for Cape May County. We get most of ours in the fall. Our winter Orange Sulphurs look somewhat like Clouded Sulphurs with very little orange or none.

Overcast, 65 degrees. Looked for 40 minutes up until rain came.

Moderator's Note: Congratulations to Steve on our FOY for 2016. His find gives us records of all five azures now – already by April 4. We have photos of four of them (missing only a pic of brown elfin.) Keep those cameras ready, everyone!

Sunny, 46 degrees at 4:30 pm. So surprised to see Cabbage whites flying. Three seen along the river trail, two seen on Riverwinds Drive driving in.

With a slight breeze and temperatures approaching mid-forties, I flushed an American Lady.