May 2022 Sightings

Rt. 70 powerline cut northeast of Spring Lake Blvd / Rattler Rd. 1:15 to 4 pm. Sunny, breezy, 72 degrees when finished. One of the azure sp. was likely a Holly Azure.

9 am to 12:30 pm. Sunny, breezy, 71 degrees when finished. Photo of female duskywing which I believe is a Horace's. A Northern Pine Snake was a bonus.

[A superb list. including double-digit dusted skippers and our first photo'd Horace's of 2022. (In fact, our last photo'd Horace's was back on 9-11-21 by Karen Thompson at Higbee's.) jc]

Two males, one female.

[Good to have our log's first wood satyr report of 2022. That gives us 46 species for the year so far, approximately halfway to our usual annual total of species in the low to mid-90s. jc]

Observation: 12.00-13.30
Too windy to shoot pictures in the open field.

9-11am during guided walk

Question mark came to fruit.
A Northern Cloudywing was in our woods in the same area last year on 5/17.

[Our log's first northern cloudywing of 2022. Good find! jc]

Sachem was a fresh female

[Thank you, KT: at last our log's first buckeye of 2022. This is the latest FOY buckeye in our log's history, ten days later than the previous latest FOY on May 10, 2018. jc]

Butterflies spotted while birding.

[Our log's FOY red-spotted purple for 2022. Our next FOY will be #50 for the year. jc]

Seen while working in the yard.

Rt. 70 powerline cut northeast of Spring Lake Blvd / Rattler Rd. 2:50 to 4:15 pm. Partly sunny, windy. A thunderstorm passed just to the north. Duskywing sp. all fly-bys.

At Summersweet native plant nursery

11:45am bright sun, still. Unusual 80 degrees at deep shade thermometer. My first Monarch sighting for year. Asclepias tuberose and Common Milkweed all up 8 inches or more.

Incidental sighting while in the yard this afternoon.

Lang garden center.

[Our log's first photo of buckeye in 2022. Good to see, at last! jc]

Observation: 8.30- 9.45
Great time to start the day, photographing conditions also perfect.

[Our log's first report of viceroy in 2022 – and our 50th species reported for the year. jc]

My first Monarch. She was ovipositing on butterfly weed and common milkweed.

This is the earliest I’ve ever spotted a Monarch since I’ve been reporting them . She came along and laid several eggs on the milkweed and went on her way.

We paddled upstream from Kirby's Mill into Medford, NJ.
My first Monarch of the year. Saw saw other colorful (orange) ones, but couldn't ID.

7:50 to 11:45 am. Sunny, hot. 91 degrees when finished. Cloudywing sp. never alighted but I suspect it was a Southern. Horace's Duskywing a fresh male.

[An impressive "Baker's Dozen" list – including our log's FOY tawny-edged skipper for 2022 and the first northern cloudywing reported for OCN since June 14, 2020 (by Chris Williams.) We had only 7 previous records of the species in OCN. jc]

1st Monarch in the garden, a female laying eggs on our robust stand of Common Milkweed

While working in the garden—monarch laid an egg on common milkweed. It didnt stay long and no chance for a photo.

Also, unfortunately, our first-ever spotted lanternfly, a small nymph.