March 2023 Sightings
Pat Sutton
Beaver Swamp WMA
Cape May County, NJ
Both were uncooperative for photos. Perched on sand road (road almost undriveable due to heavy illegal ATV use).
- Azure, sp. 1
- American Snout 1
Scott McConnell
Whitesboro
Cape May County, NJ
Clear, temp mid-50s, wind W 12mph. One MOCL on Mid Twp. bike path in morning; all others on walk through woodlots, 1410–1520, 1 km. Snouts fluttering up together, perching by each other, but no mating observed.
- American Snout 2
- Eastern Comma 3
- Mourning Cloak 5
Kathy Horn
Cox Hall Cr WMA
Cape May County, NJ
Sunny, 46
Sure was nice to see some butterflies on these protected woods paths!
[Yes! jc]
- American Snout 1
- Mourning Cloak 2
Scott McConnell
Ockie Wisting Recreation Complex
Cape May County, NJ
Clear, mid-50s, W breeze 12 m/h; 2.5km, 2.3 hrs.
- Anglewing sp. 1
- Eastern Comma 1
- Mourning Cloak 4
Mike Kaliss
Black Run Preserve
Burlington County, NJ
Mostly sunny day. Low 50's. Around 12 noon. 2 Mourning Cloaks in upland Pine-Oak forest
[Welcome to our South Jersey Butterfly Project, Mike Kaliss! jc]
- Mourning Cloak 2
Karen & Brian Johnson
Bellplain state forest
Cape May County, NJ
Midday drive around sand roads north of Rt. 550. Nice to see so many MC.
[Yes! That is a good-to-see high count! jc]
- Blueberry Azure 2
- American Snout 1
- Anglewing sp. 1
- Mourning Cloak 16
Scott McConnell
Whitesboro
Cape May County, NJ
Clear, wind W 10, mid-50s. Same time, place, and conditions as yesterday, but far fewer butterflies.
- Eastern Comma 1
- Mourning Cloak 1
Clay Sutton
Corbin City WMA
Atlantic County, NJ
48 degrees. All seen in 1/2 hour between 12:30 and 1:30 pm. 4 in sight at once.
[It's a mourning cloak year so far – with more reports and higher counts than usual. Our 2023 count of individuals is already 50+ which tops the totals for the full year of two recent down years: 2019 (47) and 2018 (43). Was it the mild weather that enabled more survival this winter – or something last summer that increased breeding success? jc]
- Mourning Cloak 5
Harrison Hepding, Jonathan Layman, Tom Reed
Coral Ave. dune crossing, Cape May Point
Cape May County, NJ
Mourning Cloak flying around dunes at 11:05am. Sunny, 41ºF, wind NNW 10-15mph.
- Mourning Cloak 1
Scott McConnell
Whitesboro
Cape May County, NJ
Clear, low 50s, little breeze. 600m walk through woods, ~1 hr. in late afternoon. A comparison of one of the commas (attached) with the one I posted on 3/6 from the same location indicates it is the same individual. Today it fluttered up/chased a nearby snout several times.
- American Snout 1
- Anglewing sp. 1
- Eastern Comma 3
Jack Miller
my yard Petersburg
Cape May County, NJ
Midday fly through.
[Our first cabbage white of 2023 – and 6th species for the year. Good find, jm! jc]
- Cabbage White 1
Pat & Clay Sutton
Pine Swamp Road (Belleplain State Forest)
Cape May County, NJ
52 degrees. Flushed from the road. 2 were chasing each other high overhead.
- Mourning Cloak 5
Chris Herz
Glassboro WMA, Clayton
Gloucester County, NJ
54 degrees to start at 1 pm.–warmed to 58 degrees. Carpenter entrance to nowhere road. 2nd Azure had dark margin.
[Our first bf report from GLO in 2023. Good to see! jc]
- Spring Azure 2
- Anglewing sp. 1
- Eastern Comma 2
- Mourning Cloak 1
David L. Amadio
Riverwinds River Trail & Community center
Gloucester County, NJ
Obs. made from 12:15 to 1 p.m., 60 degrees and filtered sun. Only a couple of flowering trees here but they were enough to attract many bees and several butterflies. Photographed high in the trees.
[Our first red admiral of 2023 – and 7th species for the year. Good find, Dave. jc]
- Eastern Comma 4
- Red Admiral 1
- Mourning Cloak 1
Robert C. Koch
Lumberton Leas on Creek Rd. Lumberton, NJ
Burlington County, NJ
First butterflies seen at Lumberton Leas this year. Cabbage White on my neighbor's lawn, Mourning Cloak (in flight) and Anglewing sp. (in leaf litter) on woodland trails.
- Cabbage White 1
- Anglewing sp. 1
- Mourning Cloak 1
Jennifer Bulava
Amico Island, Delran
Burlington County, NJ
1 Mourning Cloak in flight on blue trail around noon. Sunny and near 60 degrees.
- Mourning Cloak 1
- American Snout 1
- Anglewing sp. 1
- Mourning Cloak 1
Dolores Amesbury
My yard in CMCH
Cape May County, NJ
Sunny, upper 50’s. One of the Mourning Cloaks was favoring Red Maple blossoms.
- Anglewing sp. 1
- Eastern Comma 1
- Mourning Cloak 3
[This is our earliest record for blueberry azure in Atlantic County in more than ten years (since 2-27-12). Good find! jc]