May 2019 Sightings

David L. Amadio

Beaver Dam Rd.
Cape May County, NJ

  • Cabbage White 1
  • Holly Azure 1
  • Pearl Crescent 1
  • Juvenal's Duskywing 2

Steven Glynn

Warren Grove & Woodland Twp areas
Ocean County, NJ

Sunny, 66 degrees during my late morning visit. Strong flight year apparent for all "key" species in the area.

All "key" species found easily, as they were all actively dogfighting and/or nectaring.

  • Hessel's Hairstreak 3
  • Brown Elfin 4
  • Hoary Elfin 75
  • Henry's Elfin 1
  • Eastern Pine Elfin 1
  • Spring Azure 6
  • American Lady 6
  • Common Buckeye 8
  • Juvenal's Duskywing 15
  • Cobweb Skipper 7

Hoary Elfin

Cobweb Skipper

Hessel's Hairstreak

Pat Amadio

Backyard butterfly garden, West Deptford
Gloucester County, NJ

  • American Lady 2

David L. Amadio

Lizard Tail Swamp Preserve
Cape May County, NJ

Explored the area from 1:40 till 5:30. Mostly sunny and low to mid 80's. Very high water levels. Muck boots would be helpful. Found a nice first brood of Junipers. 30 nectared on a patch of Cypress Spurge. 1 on Autumn Olive, and 6 flying around their E.Red Cedar host. Very poor and highly cropped images of a Painted Lady. American Ladies went from mint fresh to well worn migrants.

[This is our log's first report of painted lady in 2019. May there be many more to come! jc]

  • Cabbage White 1
  • Falcate Orangetip 1
  • Orange Sulphur 1
  • Juniper Hairstreak 37
  • Azure, sp. 1
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 14
  • American Lady 12
  • Painted Lady 1
  • Red Admiral 2
  • Common Buckeye 3
  • Juvenal's Duskywing 1

Painted Lady

Common Buckeyes

Frosted Elfin

Juniper Hairstreak

Brian Johnson

Natural Lands Peek preserve
Cumberland County, NJ

Spent the day looking for Hessel's. We have some good White Cedar groves on the preserve but I did not find any.

  • Cabbage White 2
  • Eastern Pine Elfin 7
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 4
  • Pearl Crescent 3
  • American Lady 3
  • Red Admiral 1
  • Juvenal's Duskywing 12

Jim Springer

Lakehurst RR Tracks and Barrens
Ocean County, NJ

10:30am-5:pm, sunny, 72˚F

[Our log's FOY red-spotted purple is in this nice mix of species. Good work, JS! jc]

  • Cabbage White 6
  • Brown Elfin 6
  • Hoary Elfin 20
  • Eastern Pine Elfin 4
  • Blueberry Azure 1
  • Holly Azure 13
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 1
  • Pearl Crescent 3
  • Mourning Cloak 1
  • American Lady 12
  • Red Admiral 2
  • Red-spotted Purple 1
  • Silver-spotted Skipper 1
  • Juvenal's Duskywing 9

Hoary Elfin

Jennifer Bulava

Historic Smithville Park, Eastampton
Burlington County, NJ

While conducting bird survey of the park. Butterflies seen from approximately 10:30-11:30am.

  • Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 1
  • Cabbage White 5
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 1
  • Pearl Crescent 1
  • Duskywing sp. 1

Brian Johnson

Egg Harbor Township
Atlantic County, NJ

Tried another spot for Hessel's after work. Success!

  • Hessel's Hairstreak 3
  • Holly Azure 1
  • Pearl Crescent 3
  • American Lady 2

Hessel's Hairstreak

Sandra Keller

Bivalve - Shellpile area
Cumberland County, NJ

Sunny, 78 degrees, light winds.

  • Black Swallowtail 1
  • Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 2
  • Spicebush Swallowtail 2
  • Cabbage White 3
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 5
  • Pearl Crescent 15
  • American Lady 2
  • Duskywing sp. 4
  • Juvenal's Duskywing 1

Pearl Crescent

David L. Amadio

Jake's Landing Rd.
Cape May County, NJ

A very worn Henry's at the entrance to overgrown field.

  • Henry's Elfin 1

David L. Amadio

Belleplain State Forest
Cape May County, NJ

Clouds & Fog gave way to part sun after 10:15 a.m. Temps. 74-80 degrees between 10 & 12. A fresh male Spicebush Swallowtail flew along the powerline. Likely a few more Horace's DW, but only two confirmed.

[Only our second Horace's for 2019 and the first photographed. Good shooting, Dave! jc]

  • Spicebush Swallowtail 1
  • Brown Elfin 5
  • Azure, sp. 4
  • Holly Azure 6
  • American Lady 3
  • Duskywing sp. 15
  • Juvenal's Duskywing 43
  • Horace's Duskywing 2

Juvenal's Duskywing (female)

Horace's Duskywing (male)

Steven Glynn

Elephant Swamp
Gloucester County, NJ

Birding and dragonflying were primary pursuits, but noting butterflies as well.

  • Cabbage White 2
  • Brown Elfin 1
  • Spring Azure 3
  • American Lady 2
  • Common Buckeye 4
  • Silver-spotted Skipper 1
  • Juvenal's Duskywing 5

Silver-spotted Skipper

Brian Johnson

2 Powerline cuts near Alloway
Salem County, NJ

The sun came out and the temperature jumped 15 degrees just as I was getting ready to leave for the day. I decided to try for some Cobwebs before I left. No luck with the Cobwebs but the Dusted were flying already. Definitely the earliest that I have ever seen them.

[Yes, this is the earliest report for dusted skippers that we have on the log. Previous: 5/6/12. Also this report includes a second FOY report for red-banded. Good to have! jc]

  • Spicebush Swallowtail 1
  • Falcate Orangetip 1
  • Red-banded Hairstreak 1
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 15
  • Pearl Crescent 6
  • American Lady 12
  • Common Buckeye 2
  • Duskywing sp. 4
  • Dusted Skipper 14

Dusted Skipper

Jack Miller

MacNamara WMA
Cape May County, NJ

1:15 - 3:15. Sunny and low 60's. As you can see in the photo, the Zab spent most of its perched time combing its front legs on the plant. Had one good look at the cloudywing before it tussled with some Juv's and flew into the woods. Nice to see one survived the annual burn they do here.

[Our first report of southern cloudywing in more than ten months (6/17/18). Two FOY reports of red-banded hairstreak today. Good to have! jc]

  • Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 3
  • Spicebush Swallowtail 1
  • Cabbage White 2
  • Red-banded Hairstreak 1
  • Brown Elfin 2
  • Henry's Elfin 2
  • Azure, sp. 11
  • Holly Azure 2
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 7
  • Lady sp. 20
  • Pearl Crescent 4
  • Question Mark 1
  • American Lady 30
  • Red Admiral 3
  • Duskywing sp. 10
  • Southern Cloudywing 1
  • Juvenal's Duskywing 8
  • Zabulon Skipper 1

Zabulon Skipper

Red-banded Hairstreak

Steven Glynn

Muddy Run area
Salem County, NJ

Another try for Cobweb Skipper

  • Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 1
  • Spicebush Swallowtail 1
  • Orange Sulphur 1
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 4
  • American Lady 2
  • Red Admiral 1
  • Common Buckeye 6
  • Monarch 1
  • Silver-spotted Skipper 1
  • Juvenal's Duskywing Common

David L. Amadio

Backyard butterfly garden, West Deptford
Gloucester County, NJ

With a few afternoon sunny breaks, out came a male Zabulon Skipper. No surprise that it spent most of its time patrolling. Did nectar briefly on French Lilac.

  • Zabulon Skipper 1

Jennifer Bulava

South Cape May Meadows, Cape May
Cape May County, NJ

  • American Copper 1
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 1
  • Pearl Crescent 1
  • American Lady 3
  • Red Admiral 1

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Sandra Keller

Newton Lake Park
Camden County, NJ

I was surprised to see these. Overcast, 70 degrees. A late afternoon birding trip. They were all males.

  • Zabulon Skipper 3

Zabulon Skipper

Ben Barkley

Lizard Tail Swamp Preserve
Cape May County, NJ

Visited from 9:45-11:30 am in the 60s when I visited. Sunny with very little breeze. Bugs everywhere. Dragonflies and butterflies. Frosted Elfins photographed. Buckeyes and Ladies were the most common. Plenty of duskywings, which I thought were all Juvenal's.

  • Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 1
  • Red-banded Hairstreak 4
  • Frosted Elfin 3
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 10
  • Pearl Crescent 5
  • American Lady 10
  • Red Admiral 2
  • Common Buckeye 15
  • Duskywing sp. c
  • Silver-spotted Skipper 2
  • Juvenal's Duskywing c

Frosted Elfin

Ben Barkley

Woodland Township area
Ocean County, NJ

Sunny and approaching 70 degrees in the early afternoon. Photos of Hessel's Hairstreak.

  • Hessel's Hairstreak 3
  • Eastern Pine Elfin 1
  • Azure, sp. 30
  • American Lady c
  • Common Buckeye 3
  • Duskywing sp. 10

Hessel's Hairstreak

Dave & Pat Amadio

Backyard butterfly garden, West Deptford
Gloucester County, NJ

Pat had our first Silver-spotted Skipper earlier in the day. E.Tiger made a quick pass through after 5:30

  • Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 1
  • Silver-spotted Skipper 1

Sandra Keller

Riverwinds - Scenic Trail
Gloucester County, NJ

With Lori. Sunny, 68 degrees. A mid day walk here.

  • Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 2
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 4
  • Red Admiral 3
  • Silver-spotted Skipper 2

Silver-spotted Skipper

David L. Amadio

At work in Cherry Hill
Camden County, NJ

Took a brief look around at lunch to see if Peck's Skippers were flying. No luck. Very little nectar due to poor land management. Pearl Crescent was a fresh female.

  • Cabbage White 1
  • Pearl Crescent 1

Ben Barkley

Warren Grove
Ocean County, NJ

Mostly spent time looking for Cobweb Skipper with success. Only spent about 30-45 minutes here. Sunny and near 70 degrees.

  • Hoary Elfin c
  • Azure, sp. c
  • American Lady c
  • Red Admiral 1
  • Cobweb Skipper 3

Cobweb Skipper

Jim Springer

Double Trouble SP
Ocean County, NJ

2:15pm-4:00pm, sunny but clouded up at end of day

  • Brown Elfin 2
  • Holly Azure 15
  • American Lady 5

Jim Springer

Bamber Lake
Ocean County, NJ

11:00am-2:00pm, sunny, 70˚K

  • Orange Sulphur 1
  • Brown Elfin 3
  • Hoary Elfin 3
  • Eastern Pine Elfin 3
  • Holly Azure 10
  • American Lady 6
  • Red Admiral 2
  • Sleepy Duskywing 3
  • Juvenal's Duskywing 25

Sleepy Duskywing

Hoary Elfin

David L. Amadio

Oswego River Preserve
Burlington County, NJ

Obs. from 2:00 till 3:30 p.m. Extensive fire scar since last year along Long Causeway Rd. Normally many puddling duskywings and elfins would be seen here, but very dead today. The fire apparently stopped before doing too much damage to the Atlantic Cedars. Found a fairly concentrated area of nectar and Hessel Hairstreaks. Was pleased to be able to photograph more than one on their White Cedar host. Ended up seeing at least 13 Hessel's today. Another butterflier told me of at least 3-5 more at an additional Woodland Twp location. Nice flight. The best that I have seen since 2011.

  • Hessel's Hairstreak 7
  • Holly Azure 9
  • American Lady 1
  • Duskywing sp. 2

Hessel's Hairstreak

Hessel's Hairstreak

David L. Amadio

Warren Grove
Ocean County, NJ

Obs. from around 12 noon & 1:30 p.m. Sunny, mid 70,s and S-SW winds 8-10. Hoary Elfin numbers & quality dropping off after a very good flight.

  • Hoary Elfin 15
  • Holly Azure 18
  • American Lady 3
  • Duskywing sp. 2
  • Sleepy Duskywing 2
  • Juvenal's Duskywing 2
  • Cobweb Skipper 3

Cobweb Skipper

Cobweb Skipper

Jack Miller

Union rd powerlines
Cumberland County, NJ

Ended my day here around 3. The common moth in the photo (I will work on the ID) with the dusted added challenge to identifying species. Happy to have found dusted in 3 locations today but worried that once again I could not find a SJ cobweb. Pine Barrens tree frog was calling.

  • Eastern Pine Elfin 1
  • Azure, sp. 1
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 7
  • Pearl Crescent 18
  • American Lady 6
  • Duskywing sp. 8
  • Sleepy Duskywing 4
  • Juvenal's Duskywing 4
  • Dusted Skipper 4

Dusted Skipper and moth

Sleepy Duskywing

Jack Miller

Old Stage Coach rd.
Salem County, NJ

The day was supposed to be near 80, but from 9 until 12 the temp stayed below 60 with clouds and mist. I started my day here and returned mid afternoon. I am only reporting the afternoon numbers.

  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 3
  • Pearl Crescent 5
  • American Lady 3
  • Dusted Skipper 3
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