January 2017 Sightings

1 Monarch flying across Oxford Ave. around 12:30, as our birding group walked by - seen by about 8 people. Weather was sunny and 40+ degrees.

Moderator's Note: Welcome to our newest observer/reporter, Brett Ewald of NJ Audubon, who some of you may first have met as the hard-working hawk counter on the CMBO platform in fall 1990.

His group's find means we have now documented January monarchs two years in a row. Tom Bailey & Jeff Ellerbusch had one in Stafford Township, OCN, on Jan 3, 2016. Our latest-ever monarch was one recorded by Michael O'Brien (also in Cape May Point) on Jan 12, 2012.

jc

Lovely New Year's morning with temps in the 40's. Have been to many spots in the past ten days and have come up with all zeroes except for here.

[Moderator's Note: Our 10th year begins with butterflies on the first day of 2017. At least one more report of orange sulphur coming also. Congrats to all observers! jc]

Went into a field at 9:30 am and quickly found six Orange Sulphurs. A male was courting a female. There were, most likely, more individuals in this spot.

During a small window of good sun, I observed seven active Orange Sulphurs.

Did an Orange Sulphur survived under the snow or come out of a chrysalis on a warm day (45 degrees) after our arctic winter cold weather? Found three other insect species in downtown Cape May CH this day - Honey Bee, Boxelder Bug and Bottle Fly .

There were two fresh Orange Sulphurs hunkered down in the high southern winds on the Cape May NWR. Where there more in the field???
Also, there was a fresh Fall-Cankerworm Moth (Alsophila pometaria) on a porch frame in the 400 Block of West Hand Avenue.

Found a fresh Orange Sulphur at the Cape May NWR and a Plume Moth species in downtown CMCH, NJ. Plume Moths are very hard to id to species and it really takes a microscope and a specimen for a sure determination for this family.

12:00- 1:00. Full sun, 50 degrees, winds 10-15. Flushed a female orange sulphur in excellent shape.

I saw one short flight of a sulphur.

At 10:15 am, I found a mint fresh Orange Sulphur angled to gain heat from the sun. Fifteen minutes later, I was photographing Lawn Crocuses along West Hand Avenue in CMCH, NJ