October 2017 Sightings

This place was loaded with Painted Ladies. Did briefly see an Ocola Skipper.
Photo of a Wandering Glider - yes, they stop.

A premier spot for Monarchs staging in years past but this morning I only found around 40 warming on the goldenrod. I did find a "Blonde" Monarch. You can see it's a fresh bug but it's colorless.
I photographed a Pearl Crescent earlier this summer with the same colorless features.

Saw plenty of Painted Ladies and a Red-banded Hairstreak.

Surprised to see another Monarch. Zinnias still providing nectar.

Cabbage Whites were common and one Monarch was traveling south through the town.

Clouds of Monarchs from early AM going all day. Picture is Mexican Sage with over 2 dozen Monarchs with some Ladies on it taken about 9 AM. First Monarchs seen about 7:30 AM. (Lots of images & video taken today in the yard.)

Afternoon walk. Still some Seaside Goldenrod blooming and pulling in butterflies. Steady migration of Monarchs moving over the back of Stone Harbor Point. Extra treat was 3 different Monarch roosts forming by 3:15 p.m. in Bayberry bushes and Red Cedars (total of 300 roosting Monarchs in 3 roosts).

1-2 pm, sunny, light winds, low 70s. Silver-spotted is a new late date for our yard, by 11 days. Nectaring on blue Lobelia. Other butterflies mostly on Verbena.

Great sunny weather temps mid 70's with winds 5-7 MPH. Many skippers have returned from wherever they were hiding. Excited to find a Long-tailed Skipper in the backyard after an absence of 16 days. Many Ocolas in the yard. Monarch numbers down but still high. FOY Eastern Commas for me also. Digital images of all.

Gray Hairstreak was a rag. Put some fresh fruit out so hoping to increase diversity.

Very little nectar here. Poor year for Frost Asters in Salem County. Male Fiery Skipper was nectaring on Chicory.

Still quite a few zinnias in bloom here. surprised to find this late Silver-spotted Skipper. Fiery Skippers were actively seeking to mate.

Always facinated by the behaviour of Viceroys. The species is so predictable with individuals staking out the same small territory year after year. I know of at least four locations in three counties where they can reliably found year after year in the same 10 square foot area.

Once again, the Painted Ladies easily outnumbered the American Ladies.

The buckeyes love the Frost Asters.

A Variegated Fritillary flying in a back yard.

Red Admirals (9) were my highest count for the year within one location. Discovered 5 'Winter Form' Question Marks and 3 ' Winter Form' Eastern Commas around the fruit.
Photo a 'Winter Form' QM on a rotting Crabapple.

8 am to 12:30. Buckeye number is an estimate.

Chris found a fresh 'Winter Form' Question Mark and I discovered a fresh American Snout.

It is the year of the Painted Ladies.

A brief stop to see if anything left in the garden. Nothing! All butterflies seen outside the garden.

Painted Ladies were the big feature.

Real drop off in action here. Very little nectar.

Pleased to see an Ocola Skipper on Frost Aster and American Coppers on Seaside Goldenrod.

Spent about 1-1/2 hrs. here. Scattered Frost Asters, not as much as in past years. All nectaring observed was on Frost Asters. Several "rosa" form Buckeyes seen today.