December 2021 Sightings

Harvey Tomlinson and Steven Glynn

Beanery
Cape May County, NJ

Still waiting for our First killing Frost…not with bated breath mind you…..

  • Cabbage White 5
  • Orange Sulphur 4
  • Red Admiral 1
  • Common Buckeye 6

Tom Bailey

Palmyra Cove Nature Park & adjoining private property
Burlington County, NJ

Incidental sightings while birding in the park today. Mostly sunny & temperature about 47 degrees.

  • Orange Sulphur 1
  • Eastern Comma 1

Tom Reed

Cape May Pt. State Park
Cape May County, NJ

Observations from hawkwatch platform; temps around 50ºF with moderate NW winds. Red Admiral flushed from sunny part of platform when I arrived, followed by 2 more flying west during late AM. Single Monarch flew s/se over Bunker Pond at 12:29.

[This report continues our now-11-year streak of at least one monarch in December on our log. Like this one, they are found most often in and around Cape May Point, apparently aiming to cross the Bay from there and "hoping" to make it to Mexico (or maybe Florida?) jc]

  • Red Admiral 3
  • Monarch 1

Kathy Horn

Cape May Point State Park
Cape May County, NJ

Sunny, 52 with 5 mph NE winds.

  • Cabbage White 1
  • Red Admiral 3
  • Common Buckeye 1
  • Monarch 1

Red Admiral

Red Admiral

Chris Herz

Lily lake & hawk watch platform
Cape May County, NJ

Both flew by.

  • Common Buckeye 1
  • Monarch 1

Harvey Tomlinson

Norbury's Landing Rd
Cape May County, NJ

A very Large Monarch headed south along the Delaware Bayshore

  • Cabbage White 1
  • Common Buckeye 1
  • Monarch 1

Monarch

Jack McDonough

Jakes Landing
Cape May County, NJ

Around 1pm - 62 degrees

  • Cloudless Sulphur 1

Cloudless Sulphur

Jack Miller and Jack McDonough

The Beanery
Cape May County, NJ

Observations made 11:00 to 12:00. Temperature in the 40's with variable winds 5- 12 and full sun.

[That's the highest count of buckeyes we have had since 11/18/21. jc]

  • Orange Sulphur 1
  • Red Admiral 1
  • Common Buckeye 8

Red Admiral

Common Buckeye

Tom Reed

Avalon Seawatch (beach between 8/9th streets)
Cape May County, NJ

Red Admiral northbound at 10:59 (spotted by Clay Sutton), with the same or another southbound a couple minutes later; another arrived from ocean and continued south at 12:58. Sunny, 50ºF, winds WSW 10-15mph.

  • Red Admiral 2

Jack Miller and Jack McDonough

CMPSP
Cape May County, NJ

Observations made 12:20- 1:40. 50 degrees, light winds and full sun. We jumped the sachem and watched it for about 30 seconds, turned to each other amazed, and never saw it again despite a long search. No doubt luck plays a major role in this pursuit. A hummingbird and a green darner were also seen.

[That breaks a very old record for latest sachem, set 12-4-2011. Good find! jc.]

  • Clouded Sulphur 4
  • Orange Sulphur 8
  • Red Admiral 1
  • Sachem 1

Sachem

Clouded Sulphur

Tom Reed

Avalon Seawatch (beach between 8/9th streets)
Cape May County, NJ

Monarch flew east then south along beachfront at 12:50. Sunny, 53ºF, winds N 10-15mph.

  • Monarch 1

Harvey Tomlinson

My Garden
Cape May County, NJ

Cabbage White spent most of the afternoon in the garden feeding on the Greggii.

  • Cabbage White 1

Cabbage White

Harvey Tomlinson

CMP State Park
Cape May County, NJ

Oddly the sightings were earlier in the morning. Pictures just didn't happen.

[This is the first report of mourning cloak in more than a month – 11/11/21. Good find! jc]

  • Mourning Cloak 1
  • Common Buckeye 1

Cynthia Allen

My yard in CMCH
Cape May County, NJ

Sighting around 12:30 PM when it was sunny, 65 degrees, with a SW wind. I was surprised to see this species which flew through the yard over the Partridge Pea remnants. Shattered my previous late record of Nov. 22.

[This report also breaks our log's previous all-time LOY – Dec 14, 2015. Good find! jc]

  • Cloudless Sulphur 1

Jack Miller

CMPSP
Cape May County, NJ

38 degrees after a night in the mid 20's.

[Whew! That's one cool lep! Can it survive another week to match our record LOY of 12/27/15? jc]

  • Clouded Sulphur 1

Clouded Sulphur

Jack Miller and Jack McDonough

CMPSP
Cape May County, NJ

Sunny and mid 50's. Jack and I made a brief visit here during lunch while participating in the Belleplain Christmas Bird Count.

[Good finds of late-flying sulphurs! jc]

  • Sulphur sp. 3
  • Clouded Sulphur 3
  • Orange Sulphur 2

Jennifer Bulava

Barnegat Light State Park
Ocean County, NJ

1 monarch flying directly over the parking lot around 12:30 pm. 53 degrees and sunny.

[Good find! This is the northernmost-most monarch we have had reported since November 1st. jc]

[UPDATE, 1-2-22] This and the sightings below by the two Jacks were the last reports for 2021, our 13th year of the Sightings Log. Congratulations to all three observers and thanks to all of you out there who contributed your reports this year.

And Happy New Year to all! jc]

  • Monarch 1
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