Recent sightings

High temps in upper 80s. Common Checkered-Skippers were by far the most abundant species.

With Marc Minno, Rob Epstein, and 3 participants in the Florida Birding and Nature Festival: S Kuroda, K Karoda and B Watson. 1:45-4:10; 90’s with clouds and light rain at times. Pics show a Long-tailed Skipper laying eggs, Giant Swallowtail caterpillar with exuvia and courting Tropical Checkered-Skippers.

Sunshine 78 degrees. Beautiful day with many Painted Ladies migrating through along with a couple American Ladies, Cloudless Sulphur, and a Buckeye.

Observed in backyard from 10-2
Much cooler- mid 70’s Low humidity

45 species is a new one day high for our yard.

Abundant sunshine. 73 degrees with a slight southerly breeze.

Nice day, about 70 degrees, but 8 miles of hiking yielded only 4 butterflies total.

very smoky

Mostly cloudy all day…mid 70’s

Tithonia has butterflies abound! Planted the flower late in the season but what an spectacular display and attraction to this flower, covered in butterflies!
A lovely evening, sunny, high 70’s.

70 degrees. Partly sunny with winds SSW at 7mph.

Full sun, 80F, Scalebroom top nectar.

With Shawn Christopherson and Dave Bender.

Start out cloudy and 53 degrees. by the end it was 66 degrees and sunny. The exciting observation was a new butterfly, a Bordered Patch. Probable blew up from Kansas

Mostly sunny, very dry but still some goodies

Fresh one.

This morning it got down to 36 degrees so didn’t know how many butterflies I would see when I went out at 12:30. It had warmed up to 56 degrees. Very few wildflowers blooming.

There were Monarch’s coming through all day today. Almost to late to get photos (due to darkness) I found 5-6 small roosts of Monarchs in my Cherry tree in the yard just now. One roost had over 50 butterflies in it.

Mid-to-late afternoon stroll around the Meadow Trail. 76 degrees, NE 4. Increasing clouds.

Mid 70s, sunny skies, light winds out of the NE. Park loop plus a loop around the pond.

Very worn, could barely fly.

3-4 pm.
Very large numbers of Monarchs migrating through the town all day long.

10:15 AM to 01:15 PM; partially sunny skies; light breeze from NNW with 4-9 mph gusts; air temperatures ranged from 68-74 F; with Della Wells.

From the roof of a building in downtown Montclair. Dozens of Monarchs migrating (over 100 counted during 11 am -1 pm), many quite high. Monarch numbers have been great (the best in at least 4-5 years) during the past several weeks in Montclair gardens and over town. Also good flights of cormorants and hawks, and a few Painted Ladies.

Heavy rain all morning
Very surprised to find a Cassius Blue on my stroll outside after the rain

Area was in eye of Hurricane Irma. About half number of species and individuals as noted in survey in late September last year.

Sunny. Warm.
Wild Indigo Duskywings have reached northern lower Michigan.

Numbers of Monarchs and Fiery Skippers went up after passage of the remnants of tropical storm Nate overnight.

A mostly, on and off again, very light rain day with a few bright periods in between that brought out some butterflies. Temperature was 71°/77°

Sunny, mid-80’s.
9:30 am - 10:30 am.
with Teri.

Annual ‘Bullied by Skippers’ field trip. 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Weather: 79-91 degrees, mostly clear to partly cloudy, winds 6-10 mph. Nectar sources: liatris, carphephorus, Bidens alba, spermacoce, duck potato, thistle, mistflower, rayless sunflower, FL elephant’s foot. Participants: LCooper, REpstein, SFarnsworth, DRhodes, LRhodes.

Observed in park for 2 hrs Very hot humid conditions

Sunny low humidity as well as low winds.

If anyone decides to go looking for Bay Skippers at this location, be prepared to wear protective clothing, including a head net. The deer flies are brutal right now.

Major nectar sources: Bidens alba, Carphephorus spp., Liatris spp., Pine Lily, Tall Elephant’s Foot, Pickerel weed, Rayless Sunflower. Weather stayed clear, sunny and hot all of survey time, 9:30 a to 4:15 p. EPerry, RWarner, SWu (visiting from Taiwan).

I placed Monarch Watch tags#XBL059 thru XBL064 on the monarchs ( 2 females, 4 males. I hope someone sees one of them.

Low 61°/high of 81°, changeable skies, windy, with rain due tonight.

‘Death by Skipper’ annual field trip. 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Weather: 82 - 95 degrees, partly cloudy, winds 6-10 mph. Prairie very wet & few wildflowers in bloom but beautiful fall grasses. Nectar sources: Carphephorus, Liatris, Pickerelweed, Pine Lily. Painted Lady is rarely seen here but this is a good year for them all over the U.S. LCooper, SFarnsworth, NPrine.

The Northern Pearly-eye showed up at 12:57 a.m. under a Mercury Vapor Light used for mothing. It is the latest date for this butterfly in Pennsylvania so far.

Post-Irma survey 12-4 p.m. Some expected species not found.

very hot and humid conditions today
observed 30 min in am and 15 min afternoon…backyard

Sunny, mid-80’s.
10:30 am - 3:00 pm.
with Teri.

Area has held a Checkered White colony for the past five years. A final check, after a major section of the area was cleared and graded, found Checkered Whites still flyng and a female ovipositing. Happy to think the colony will persist into 2018.

Made a final search on this private property and found a good number of fresh looking Bronze Coppers. This final brood is the highest concentration on the site since spring.

Mostly grazed over pasture, cattle gone today, as well as nectar sources.

Highest number of species & #39th species for this butterfly garden for 2017 - Common Checkered-Skipper. Last seen here in 2015. Ocola Skippers continue. Numbers of butterflies decreasing. Monarch tagging being done in the yard by the Cape May Monarch Monitoring Project. More Painted Ladies than American Ladies with good numbers still.

Partly cloudy to sunny Winds 5-10 mid 80’s. Nor Eastern passed through yesterday rain with winds up to 40 mph.
Discovered Monk Skipper, checked BAMONA, new record for Duval Co.Fl. 80% nectaring on Summer Farewell (Dalia pinnata) 20% nectaring on Florida Paintbrush (Carphephorus corymbosus) Numerous Common Buckeye caterpillars feeding on Agalinis fasciculata

Trail going to Durbin Creek is flooded.

80 partly sunny

80, partly sunny

Sunny, mid-80’s.
3:30 am - 5:30 pm.
with Teri.

Sunny, mid-80’s.
11:30 am - 3:00 pm.
with Teri.

10:00 AM to 12:45 PM; mostly sunny skies initially but with increasing cloud cover throughout the day; slight breeze, 3-6 mph gusts; air temperatures ranged from 68-75 F; with Della Wells.

With John Heyse, enjoyed a location new to me. A lush growth of Asters, Goldenrod and Gum Flower are the main butterfly attractants.

Sunny, high 40s
Elevation 8700 ft

Fine sunny weather

high winds , more common skippers scant.

Sunny, 73 degrees low humidity. This black swallowtail had been in its chrysalis more than 3 weeks! The lata bloomer was in the butterfly certified #2490 garden, allowing me to take this prior to flying away.

1 unidentified Duskywing

Did my weekly butterfly count at Lauritzen Gardens today. It was 63 degrees, cloudy most of the day with a wind of 8.1 mph. Still had a great day butterflying seeing 2175 butterflies. Painted Ladies are still in huge abundance.

Both Lady species, Monarch’s, Common Buckeye’s, and Sachems are sill common to abundant in my yard. Sunny today mid 70’s with little wind. About 70 Black Swallowtail cats or chrysalis here. Several Monarch cats also seen.

The Monarchs were steadily moving south.

Very brief view of a single Cassius Blue, not in the freshest of conditions

11 a.m. - 3:45 p.m. Weather: intermittent rain all day and cloudy when not raining; 78 to 82 degrees, winds 16 - 26. Nectar sources: Bidens alba, carphephorus, liatris, elephant’s foot, pickerelweed, spermacoce, Phasey bean. Fall wildflowers are just coming into bloom. Scouting for upcoming field trip. Area very wet but roads passable. Linda Cooper

Sunny and mid 60’s this morning…new sighting in my yard…White M. Hairstreak…9:05 am

I only recently (3years ago) started growing Verbena bonariensis here at home and it has become one of the top draws for me, especially easy to grow and reseeds itself too.

09:30 to 15:30

72, sunny, light breeze. All butterflys nectaring on Buddleia

More Fiery Skippers than ever here nectaring on a wide variety; Aster, Goldenrod, Lantana and Verbena bonariensis.

Monarch repeatedly visited my Buddlaeia bush for over an hour (I assume it was just one, returning time and again).

One was fresh the other very worn.

72 sunny.
Masses of Frost Aster attracting many sulphurs