September 2020 Sightings

Quick stop to check still-blooming Yellow Leaf-cup.

Another quick walk around the new Garrison's property at the end of the day. I have just begun trying to mow some phrag out of the fields. The saltmarsh flowers are responding well to the mowing. Skipper numbers are estimated. Not enough time for a proper count. There was a few patches of Saltmarsh Fleabane that were covered in Skippers. It was challenging to get the fiery picture with the phone.

79 degrees, mostly cloudy, 4:00-4:30pm. Prior to arriving at this park at 4pm, it was an overcast, humid, and biting insect-filled day, (& certainly no butterflies). I was only there to meet an Eagle Scout to go over his project. We were walking the field edge on the way to the trail when a butterfly landed on the scout's dad's shoulder. Fortunately, it landed on the trail seconds later and posed nicely for pictures - a tawny emperor! I have not seen one of these beauties as an adult since 8/27/2013, and never at this park! A great way to end an otherwise gloomy and frustrating day.

[And a delightful photo to match the good story!

This is only our 4th record of the species in BUR Co, 2008-2020. Ruth Cranmer had one in her fruit dish in her garden in Mt Laurel 9-18-13; another there on 8-10-14; and Robert Koch found and photo'd one at Lumberton Leas exactly one year ago: 9-1-19. jc]

9-2-20 Update: Jen B has sent along photos of the last tawny emperor she found in BUR:

"The tawny emperor I saw 7 years ago was at Long Bridge Park in Hainesport. It was during a guided nature walk I was leading on August 27, 2013. That would make 5 records for Burlington County!"

3 Cloudless Sulphur caterpillars on Partridge Pea. 4 Monarch caterpillars easily found (probably many more). Climbing Hempweed drew in lots of bees, flies, wasps, and American Snout and Appalachian Brown.

Not a lot of butterflies today but many in the making, including lots of Monarch caterpillars. Pictured are the Sleepy Orange cat on Senna marilandica (They sure do love those young tender seedlings), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail cat on Magnolia virginiana, and a very small Snowberry Clearwing Moth cat on Viburnum nudum (confirmed because I was lucky enough to to see the moth lay the eggs last week).

4th season a Sleepy Orange has visited.
Not all Sachems are the same, and I now know why some of them have gone missing.

Both Black Swallowtails were females. 1 Black Swallowtail caterpillar. 4 Cloudless Sulphur caterpillars. 2 Monarch caterpillars. The Brazilian Skipper was a female; lovely to spot her late in the day madly dashing about laying eggs.

[Very cool photo! You butterfly gardeners down in their Brazilian Skipper Colony land are the envy of the rest of in southern NJ! jc]

Additional 16 Monarch cats!

Spending the day relocating Monarch caterpillars to milkweed with leaves still left. Spotted this guy on a zinnia.

[Welcome to the South Jersey Butterfly Project, Carol! Thanks for reporting from your green & nectar-oasis garden! jc]

Best day of the season so far in my yard. Sachem exploded and are chasing each other all over. 25 is a conservative estimate. Large influx of Common Buckeyes mid-morning. Counted over 23. Lots of dog fights. First Horace's Duskywing in a long time. first day of double digit Monarchs with mating happening. Brazilian Skipper laying eggs on most of the cannas. 2 Cloudless Sulphurs laying eggs on both Cassia and Partridge Pea.

[Good to hear of all the action.. Sounds like the buckeye migration into the peninsula (and beyond) might have begun. jc]

Great day for butterflies! Two female black swallowtails were laying eggs on fennel at the same time and I noticed several small black swallowtail cats already on the fennel. Pictured are Tawny Emperor (I have never identified one in my yard before), young Spicebush Swallowtail cat on Sassafras tree and Gray Hairstreak.

[This is only our 2nd record of tawny emperor in GLO this year, following Dave Amadio's find of one at Riverwinds on 8-30-20. jc]

Brazilian caterpillar

11:20-12:00, Smith's Woods butterfly garden only. Black swallowtail cats have eaten just about everything. I counted 15 this time, (down from 36 on Monday). Zabulon completely worn.

High count for Peck's. Sachems continue to be very abundant.

[Cool comparison shots of monarch and its mimic. jc]

9:30-11:00am

First Peck's & ETB this year here.

One Brazilian Skipper caterpillar.

[Welcome to the South Jersey Butterfly Project, Ruth! Your first report is a significant record – our first find of Brazilian skipper in South Jersey outside Cape May County. Congratulations! jc]

Quick stroll through gardens at 4 pm. 2 Black Swallowtail caterpillars. 1 of the Cloudless Sulphurs was a female laying eggs. 1 large Monarch caterpillar.

High count on Peck's. Most on Butterfly bushes.

The fresh looking Rare Skipper earlier in the week really got my curiosity going so I went back looking again. I one that I saw was in the exact same place as before. The full list would have been very similar to the last one that I put in.

[Extending our latest-ever date farther. jc]

Severe thunderstorm last night appears to have knocked out many of the yard's butterflies. Had a very small Zabulon Skipper

Quick stroll through garden at Noon. 3 large Monarch caterpillars easily seen (probably many more). Female Monarch laying eggs.

FOY Long-tailed Skipper in the back yard this AM. 2 days earlier than my earliest record which was in 2019. Hoping for some other southern strays to head our way soon. Windy, sunny, temp 74.

[Congratulations, Beth! This is the first long-tailed reported to our log since you found our last one in your yard on 10-25-19. Nice to see! jc]

[Sachems surging in many areas in NJ right now. Triple digit counts for BUR here in RK's stomping grounds and also on 9-5-20 in Middlesex and Passiac Counties as logged on the North Jersey site. Double-digit counts everywhere. Our fall high numbers are often said to be migrants from southern states. But how many of these numbers are offspring of resident individuals – i.e. non-migrants? The sachem population in New Jersey has changed over last thirty years or so. Up into the 1990s sachems were considered fall migrants from the south. Now it seems we have both migrants and residents. jc]

A second report for the day for the yard. Not repeats of any sighting. FOY Common-Checkered Skipper seen. Only second Variegated Fritillary seen this season.. Family of Common Yellowthroats is attacking/eating just about every caterpillar in the yard including Brazilian Skippers cats. Looper moths over running the gardens