October 2019 Sightings
Jesse & Jack Connor
Our yard in Port Republic
Atlantic County, NJ
- Cabbage White 12
- Orange Sulphur 1
- Cloudless Sulphur 6
- American Copper 1
- Eastern Tailed-Blue 1
- American Lady 8
- Common Buckeye 14
- Red-spotted Purple 1
- Monarch 2
- Ocola Skipper 1
- Fiery Skipper 2
- Peck's Skipper 3
- Sachem 25
Robert C. Koch
Lumberton Leas on Creek Rd. Lumberton, NJ
Burlington County, NJ
- Cabbage White 23
- Clouded Sulphur 2
- Eastern Tailed-Blue 2
- Variegated Fritillary 5
- Pearl Crescent 2
- American Lady 1
- Painted Lady 1
- Common Buckeye 8
- Red-spotted Purple 1
- Monarch 16
- Fiery Skipper 2
- Sachem 7
Scott McConnell
Haddonfield
Camden County, NJ
Had Cloudless Sulphurs daily through Aug/Sept. Last date I had one in Camden County was 10/1.
- Cloudless Sulphur 1
Kate Forte and Jennifer Bulava
Kinkora Trail, Mansfield
Burlington County, NJ
9am-11:30am. Mostly cloudy right until the end of our walk.
Also saw 2 white-lined sphinx moth caterpillars
- Spicebush Swallowtail 1
- Cabbage White 8
- Orange Sulphur 6
- Eastern Tailed-Blue 2
- Variegated Fritillary 1
- Pearl Crescent 3
- Painted Lady 1
- Red Admiral 1
- Common Buckeye 2
- Red-spotted Purple 1
- Monarch 5
- Zabulon Skipper 1
- Fiery Skipper 2
- Peck's Skipper 3
- Little Glassywing 1
- Sachem 1
Jack Miller and Alice Miller
my yard Petersburg
Cape May County, NJ
Upper 70's and sunny; observations made between 9:00 and 3:00. A rare 20 species in October day, which is the yard's record for October. Some of the nice surprises included an astounding number of Am. Coppers (many of them fresh), a ragged Tawny-edged sk, and a fresh m. Zabulon sk (see Dave Amadio's Zabulon sk comment posted 9/27). We rediscovered a Spicebush cat that had gone missing for the past week and Alice discovered two Variegated Frit cats on walkabout in different areas of the drought-toasted grass. Pretty sure we also had a Swarthy sk, but could not get a second look.
- Spicebush Swallowtail 0
- Cabbage White 4
- Orange Sulphur 1
- Cloudless Sulphur 3
- American Copper 17
- Red-banded Hairstreak 1
- Gray Hairstreak 2
- Eastern Tailed-Blue 1
- Variegated Fritillary 0
- Pearl Crescent 5
- American Lady 2
- Painted Lady 6
- Common Buckeye 5
- Red-spotted Purple 1
- Monarch 3
- Silver-spotted Skipper 1
- Common Checkered-Skipper 1
- Zabulon Skipper 1
- Ocola Skipper 4
- Fiery Skipper 12
- Tawny-edged Skipper 1
- Sachem 24
- Cabbage White 3
- Cloudless Sulphur 7
- Red-banded Hairstreak 1
- Gray Hairstreak 3
- Eastern Tailed-Blue 6
- Pearl Crescent 2
- Question Mark 1
- American Lady 1
- Painted Lady 3
- Common Buckeye 1
- Monarch 1
- Salt Marsh Skipper 1
- Ocola Skipper 2
- Fiery Skipper 6
- Sachem 7
David L. Amadio
Backyard butterfly garden, West Deptford
Gloucester County, NJ
Obs. made after 5 p.m.
- Cabbage White 3
- Monarch 6
- Sachem 1
Dave & Pat Amadio
Backyard butterfly garden, West Deptford
Gloucester County, NJ
Obs. made mostly after 5 p.m. Pat photographed our first Variegated Fritillary in the garden this year.
- Cabbage White 1
- Variegated Fritillary 1
- Red-spotted Purple 1
- Monarch 3
- Sachem 3
- Spicebush Swallowtail 1
- Cabbage White 8
- Sulphur sp. 2
- Orange Sulphur 6
- Cloudless Sulphur 3
- Eastern Tailed-Blue 4
- Variegated Fritillary 1
- Pearl Crescent 3
- Common Buckeye 50+
- Red-spotted Purple 1
- Monarch 4
- Zabulon Skipper 1
- Sachem 1
David L. Amadio
At work in Cherry Hill
Camden County, NJ
A quick look at a very small amount of Frost Aster yielded a female Fiery Skipper.
- Fiery Skipper 1
Beth Polvino
my yard NABA #1151 & Monarch Waystation #8318
Cape May County, NJ
Sunny, warm and little wind. Pleased to have #44 species for 2019 in the yard - Common-checkered Skipper. Good number of Monarchs with 25 tagged here on 10/1. Red -spotted Purple is into chrysalis. Butterflies not counted just enjoyed.
- Black Swallowtail 1
- Spicebush Swallowtail 0
- Cabbage White 1
- Orange Sulphur 1
- Cloudless Sulphur 1
- Gray Hairstreak 1
- Eastern Tailed-Blue 1
- 'Summer' Spring Azure 1
- Variegated Fritillary 1
- Question Mark 1
- American Lady 1
- Painted Lady 1
- Red Admiral 1
- Common Buckeye 1
- Red-spotted Purple 1
- Monarch 1
- Silver-spotted Skipper 1
- Horace's Duskywing 1
- Common Checkered-Skipper 1
- Ocola Skipper 1
- Fiery Skipper 1
- Sachem 1
Brian Johnson
Natural lands preserve at North Burden hill road
Salem County, NJ
Took a walk around the preserve after finishing the day's project. Cutting across the neighbors' property to get to the south field I noticed that the barnyard was covered in frost Asters. I thought goats ate everything. Looking from outside the fence I could see lots of Checkered Skippers. I went in to try and get a quick count but the goats wouldn't leave me alone. There was a lot more Checkered Skippers than I put on the list. The Sleepy Orange was the reddish winter form. Good looking bug.
[Be careful out there, Brian ;-) We need you! jc]
- Cabbage White 2
- Clouded Sulphur 2
- Orange Sulphur 7
- Cloudless Sulphur 1
- Sleepy Orange 1
- Gray Hairstreak 7
- Eastern Tailed-Blue 16
- Variegated Fritillary 3
- Pearl Crescent 25
- American Lady 1
- Common Buckeye 28
- Monarch 1
- Common Checkered-Skipper 38
- Least Skipper 2
- Fiery Skipper 5
- Sachem 6
Steven Glynn
Dix WMA- Sleepy Orange Colony
Cumberland County, NJ
Did my first October check of the colony today. Very hot and humid, but active none-the-less.
Counts are from Dix WMA and along Schoolhouse Road for both colonies in existence now.
- Cabbage White 3
- Orange Sulphur 1
- Cloudless Sulphur 39
- Sleepy Orange 16
- Red-banded Hairstreak 1
- Gray Hairstreak 8
- Eastern Tailed-Blue 7
- Variegated Fritillary 1
- Pearl Crescent 5
- Painted Lady 2
- Red Admiral 1
- Common Buckeye 25
- Monarch 4
- Horace's Duskywing 1
- Aaron's Skipper 3
- Ocola Skipper 1
- Least Skipper 3
- Fiery Skipper 4
- Sachem 14
Dolores Amesbury
My yard in CMCH
Cape May County, NJ
11:45-12pm Breezy, overcast and spritzing, 68 degrees.
One Monarch high over yard heading south, while second one spending time in garden. Taking in their beauty while the season wanes.
- Cabbage White 2
- Eastern Tailed-Blue 1
- Question Mark 1
- Monarch 2
- Fiery Skipper 1
Beth Polvino
my yard NABA #1151 & Monarch Waystation #8318
Cape May County, NJ
Coming back from Beach Plum Farm I decided to have a quick look around my yard. Sunny but windy here along the bay. Looked at the butterflies on the berm first. Lots of skippers low down close to the plants. Went to the center garden and saw a dark bug that was flying. Waited til it settled on Blue Rhea Salvia. Got a few ID Photos before it flew but returned several times. Lastly on the Miss Huff Lantana. I was sure it was either a Zabulon or a Clouded Skipper. Clouded it was. #45 species for this yard for 2019 and #55 species overall. Looking forward to a few more species to stop by.
Still have many buckeye caterpillar on snapdragons. Plus Black Swallowtail and Monarch cats on their host plants. I also have chrysalis from Spicebush Swallowtail, BS, CB, and Red-spotted Purple. (front yard not included in numbers)
[Congratulations on a new species for the year and yard, B.P. And it's a good one indeed – and looks as fresh as JM's. Any chance it followed your car from Beach Plum Farm ;-) jc]
- Black Swallowtail 4
- Spicebush Swallowtail 0
- Cabbage White 3
- Orange Sulphur 1
- Cloudless Sulphur 3
- Gray Hairstreak 3
- Eastern Tailed-Blue 6
- 'Summer' Spring Azure 2
- Variegated Fritillary 1
- Question Mark 1
- American Lady 5
- Painted Lady 9
- Red Admiral 1
- Common Buckeye 7
- Red-spotted Purple 0
- Monarch 8
- Long-tailed Skipper 1
- Silver-spotted Skipper 1
- Clouded Skipper 1
- Fiery Skipper c
- Sachem c
Jesse & Jack Connor
Our yard in Port Republic
Atlantic County, NJ
19 (adult) species three better than our previous best October yard count (16, 10/5/12). Also one black swallowtail cat. (Half a dozen monarch cats continue).
- Pipevine Swallowtail 1
- Black Swallowtail 0
- Cabbage White 15
- Orange Sulphur 1
- Cloudless Sulphur 5
- American Copper 5
- Red-banded Hairstreak 1
- Gray Hairstreak 1
- Eastern Tailed-Blue 2
- 'Summer' Spring Azure 1
- Pearl Crescent 4
- Question Mark 1
- American Lady 8
- Painted Lady 1
- Common Buckeye 10
- Monarch 2
- Ocola Skipper 5
- Fiery Skipper 6
- Peck's Skipper 3
- Sachem 20
Jack Miller
Beach Plum Farm
Cape May County, NJ
Upper 60's, sunny and windy. Barb and I spent a couple of lovely hours at the Point watching a steady flow of hawks and falcons. Afterwards, at her urging, we went to BP Farm in W. CM for a sandwich. Having never been there, I was surprised when I found out that with each sandwich comes a side choice of long-tailed sk or clouded sk. Barb and I had one of each.
[Good finds, not counting the sandwiches. These are our first clouded skippers since Sept 29 and in a different spot – also one photo'd looks fresh, suggesting this year's vagrant flight might not be over for the year. Our late date for the species is Nov 3 (2008) found by Will Kerling at Leamings Run, CMY. jc]
- Clouded Sulphur 2
- Orange Sulphur 1
- Gray Hairstreak 1
- American Lady 1
- Painted Lady 5
- Red Admiral 1
- Common Buckeye 2
- Monarch 3
- Long-tailed Skipper 1
- Clouded Skipper 2
- Fiery Skipper 5
- Sachem 8
Jennifer Bulava
Kinkora Trail, Mansfield
Burlington County, NJ
During guided nature walk from 9-11:30am.
Lots of caterpillars crossing the trail, including Buckeye, Milkweed Tussock moth, and both species of wooly bears. Winds were sustained at 15 mph and gusting to at least 30 mph or more which kept the butterflies and dragonflies hunkered down and out of sight.
- Cabbage White 5
- Orange Sulphur 1
- Common Buckeye 1
- Monarch 4
- Fiery Skipper 1
- Peck's Skipper 3
Beth Polvino
Beach Plum Farm, West Cape May
Cape May County, NJ
At JM's urging I went over to Beach Plum Farm to see the Clouded Skipper but nary a sighting.
- Orange Sulphur 1
- Cloudless Sulphur 3
- American Lady 3
- Painted Lady 5
- Common Buckeye 2
- Monarch 3
- Fiery Skipper 8
- Sachem 9
Harvey Tomlinson
My Del Haven Garden
Cape May County, NJ
Good day in the Garden. A Long-tailed Skipper. 2nd for the season, and a Sleepy Orange. The Sleepy stopped on the Senna for awhile…..All the butterflies were nectaring on the Salvia greggii.
[Still more evidence that sleepy orange could be breeding in CMY after many years of being seen there only sporadically. jc]
- Black Swallowtail 1
- Cabbage White 1
- Clouded Sulphur 1
- Cloudless Sulphur 5
- Sleepy Orange 1
- Gray Hairstreak 1
- Eastern Tailed-Blue 2
- Variegated Fritillary 1
- Pearl Crescent 1
- American Lady 2
- Painted Lady 7
- Common Buckeye 2
- Red-spotted Purple 1
- Monarch 2
- Long-tailed Skipper 1
- Silver-spotted Skipper 1
- Ocola Skipper 2
- Least Skipper 1
- Fiery Skipper 25
- Sachem 25
David L. Amadio
Backyard butterfly garden, West Deptford
Gloucester County, NJ
Sunny but only reached 63 today. Activity light.
- Cabbage White 1
- Silver-spotted Skipper 1
- Fiery Skipper 1
- Sachem 4
Beth Polvino
my yard NABA #1151 & Monarch Waystation #8318
Cape May County, NJ
Windy ~ 13 MPH, sun off and on temps mid 60's. Bugs move in and out of the shelter of the plants depending on whether the sun is out. Cloudy Skipper continues. One and possibly 2 Common Checkered Skippers here (1 front garden looked F and back garden looked more M and fringe at edge looks different but was it a trick of light?) I do have malva here which is a host plant. First time they have been here twice in one season that I have seen them.
- Black Swallowtail 3
- Spicebush Swallowtail 0
- Cabbage White 4
- Orange Sulphur 1
- Cloudless Sulphur 2
- Red-banded Hairstreak 1
- Gray Hairstreak 2
- Eastern Tailed-Blue 2
- Variegated Fritillary 1
- Pearl Crescent 1
- Question Mark 1
- American Lady 3
- Painted Lady 5
- Red Admiral 1
- Common Buckeye 5
- Red-spotted Purple 1
- Monarch 4
- Silver-spotted Skipper 1
- Common Checkered-Skipper 1
- Clouded Skipper 1
- Ocola Skipper 8
- Fiery Skipper c
- Sachem c
- Cabbage White 3
- Variegated Fritillary 2
- Common Buckeye 2
- Fiery Skipper 1
- Sachem 10
Harvey Tomlinson
Del Haven Garden
Cape May County, NJ
Warm, but overcast.
My No-tailed Skipper continues and nectars only on my Salvia greggii. Monarch and Buckeye numbers have crashed in the past 2 days
- Cabbage White 1
- Cloudless Sulphur 2
- Red-banded Hairstreak 1
- Gray Hairstreak 2
- Eastern Tailed-Blue 1
- Pearl Crescent 1
- Painted Lady 3
- Common Buckeye 1
- Monarch 1
- Long-tailed Skipper 1
- Ocola Skipper 1
- Fiery Skipper 15
- Sachem 10
Charisse Rudolph
My Backyard - Cape May Beach
Cape May County, NJ
Long Tailed Skipper.
[Good find, C.R! jc]
- Long-tailed Skipper 1
Beth Polvino
my yard NABA #1151 & Monarch Waystation #8318
Cape May County, NJ
Sunny, windy, mid 70's - 13-15 MPH keeping everything fairly low. Sachem & Fiery Skippers are my most common butterfly at this time and they are still all over front and back. Surprised to still have 19 species flying plus 4 species of pupa along with CB and BS caterpillars.
- Black Swallowtail 2
- Spicebush Swallowtail 0
- Cabbage White 5
- Orange Sulphur 1
- Cloudless Sulphur 3
- Gray Hairstreak 2
- 'Summer' Spring Azure 1
- Variegated Fritillary 2
- Pearl Crescent 2
- Question Mark 1
- American Lady 3
- Painted Lady 5
- Red Admiral 1
- Common Buckeye 5
- Red-spotted Purple 0
- Monarch 3
- Long-tailed Skipper 1
- Common Checkered-Skipper 2
- Ocola Skipper 7
- Fiery Skipper c
- Sachem c
Harvey Tomlinson
Del Haven Garden...with a stop at the Beanery
Cape May County, NJ
Another Sleepy. And the Long-tailed Skipper continues. Yet the bug of the day is a Pearl Crescent that just won't quit. Have to admire that!
[And the Aaron's breaks our latest date ever for the species – previously 10-6-16. jc]
- Black Swallowtail 1
- Cabbage White 2
- Clouded Sulphur 1
- Cloudless Sulphur 5
- Sleepy Orange 1
- Red-banded Hairstreak 1
- Gray Hairstreak 3
- Eastern Tailed-Blue 1
- American Lady 1
- Painted Lady 1
- Common Buckeye 6
- Monarch 2
- Long-tailed Skipper 1
- Common Checkered-Skipper 1
- Aaron's Skipper 1
- Ocola Skipper 1
- Fiery Skipper 25
- Sachem 17
Jackie Parker
712 Foster Ave. Cape May
Cape May County, NJ
The butterfly was not found after we were ready with cameras.
[A frustration too many of us have known! jc]
- Clouded Skipper 1
Jennifer Bulava & Kate Forte
Historic Smithville Park, Eastampton
Burlington County, NJ
Smith's Woods butterfly garden only, 2:40-3:20pm
80 degrees but very windy
11 black swallowtail caterpillars
Ocola skipper was a first time sighting for this location.
[Good to see! jc]
- Cabbage White 2
- Variegated Fritillary 1
- American Lady 1
- Painted Lady 1
- Common Buckeye 1
- Monarch 2
- Common Checkered-Skipper 2
- Zabulon Skipper 1
- Ocola Skipper 1
- Fiery Skipper 2
- Peck's Skipper 1
- Sachem 4
Claire Campbell
Duchess Avenue Backyard, Marlton
Burlington County, NJ
A not-so-good photo of a sleepy orange but the butterfly did not wait around for me to get a good focus.
[Nice find, CC! This is our first photograph and second report ever for sleepy orange in BUR – following Tom Bailey's find at Palmyra Cove on 9-28-19. We had no previous records of the species in BUR Co, nor did Jim Springer when he compiled his excellent state map for the species on the North Jersey Butterfly website. A significant record! jc]
- Cabbage White 2
- Sleepy Orange 1
- Sachem 1
Five monarch cats in addition to two adults. First milkweed tussock moth cat found in yard this year.