March 2023 Sightings

[This is our earliest record for blueberry azure in Atlantic County in more than ten years (since 2-27-12). Good find! jc]

Both were uncooperative for photos. Perched on sand road (road almost undriveable due to heavy illegal ATV use).

Clear, mid-50s, W breeze 12 m/h; 2.5km, 2.3 hrs.

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]

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.

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]

Sunny, 46
Sure was nice to see some butterflies on these protected woods paths!

[Yes! jc]

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]

Clear, wind W 10, mid-50s. Same time, place, and conditions as yesterday, but far fewer butterflies.

Mourning Cloak flying around dunes at 11:05am. Sunny, 41ºF, wind NNW 10-15mph.

52 degrees. Flushed from the road. 2 were chasing each other high overhead.

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.

Midday fly through.

[Our first cabbage white of 2023 – and 6th species for the year. Good find, jm! jc]

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]

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]

56 degrees and winds 13 mph , afternoon.

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.

5 pm, flew up from woodland path!

Mid-50s, S breeze; 600m walk in woodlot, ~1/2 hr. Close examination of comma photo indicates a different individual than the one that was present at same location 3/6 & 3/16.

2:00-3:30pm. Sunny and 62 degrees, windy. Mourning Cloak was flying through the woods and the sulphur was far out in the fields.

[Our first sulphur for 2023. jc]

Sunny, upper 50’s. One of the Mourning Cloaks was favoring Red Maple blossoms.

1 Mourning Cloak in flight on blue trail around noon. Sunny and near 60 degrees.

The comma was still babbling "that was too close!"

A note about snouts: When combined with reports from the last 3 winters, this winter has made a convincing argument that snouts are firmly entrenched as a winter resident in at least CMY and CUM. I saw my first snout (2 in fact) this year on 2/10 at Narrows Rd Belleplain. Since then, I have seen them in CMY at Beaver Dam Rd, Old Robbins Rd, and Lizard Tail, and Dennisville rr; and Estell Manor Rd in CUM. What used to be a rarely seen species in winter is now one of our most dependable warm day in February butterflies. I wonder how far north their line was this winter?

The brightness of the azure sp inspired me to track after it for a photo. It is bright but the duskiness of the inner wing and the trailing margin led me to suspect it was probably an odd blueberry.

[Thank you, Jack, for the snout notes and for inspiring us to dive into the annual puzzle of trying to separate the different azures. For more about this tough challenge – tough even for sharp-eyed veterans like JM – go to our blog at:
https://blogs.stockton.edu/sjbfs/2021/05/02/five-ways-of-understanding-south-jerseys-azures/
jc]

Brief stop around 2:00.

1:15 pm

Flushed it; no photo opps

Around 2pm on the edge of the butterfly garden - my FOY cabbage white.

flyby.

Partly sunny, temp in 60s, little wind. 200m walk through woods, ~25 mins.

Clear, upper 50s, wind W 10. 650m walk in afternoon, mostly in woods, ~45 mins.

[Three reports of Henry's today – two from CMY and one from CUM. Exciting to see. jc]