Recent sightings

1115am-1245pm, 77-81 degrees, sunny, calm

Sunny, mid 40’s, no breeze. 12:30-2:30pm. Likely the latest Pearl Crescent I have seen in Ohio. I saw one 17 November 2007 for previous record late date.

Yard butterflies.

Sunny and 77 degrees.

11am-130pm, 80-80 degrees, sunny, calm

9:15 to 11:30 mostly cloudy changing to mostly sunny. no wind 81 degrees

Concentrated on three species. Sunny with temps reaching 75. The scrub-hairstreaks were on the abundant Sleepy Morning plants found throughout the park.

11:45 to 1pm. No wind, sunny,

Sunny, 65 degrees

79 degrees and sunny! No frost yet. We think we had a Sleepy Orange yesterday and today but could not get close enough to confirm.

The temperature was 67 under a mostly sunny sky as I walked through the paths of the woods and me in shorts, just inside and on the sunny side, I saw this sighting amongst Greenbriers and Wineberry from almost seventy-five feet away. I was basically birding with binoculars at the time.

(27-471) 9:30-1:30. Mostly sunny. Many species nectaring on Sleepy Morning (Waltheria indica), which is utilized by Mallow Scrub-Hairstreaks as their host plant here. An incredible late November day of butterflying. 2nd-highest total of Mallows for the park, 2nd-ever park record of Sleepy Orange and 3rd-ever park record for Variegated Fritillary. The mosquitoes were just as numerous.

Habitat: Weedy fields with low vegetation near cypress swamps. Beggar Ticks, Field Mustard, Rattlebox, Asters, Weeds, etc.
Weather: 23-25C, Wind S 10-12 MPH, Partly Cloudy.
Finish: 1545
Start: 11:52

Never thought I would see this in SW Georgia: Queen Butterflies were COMMON if not ABUNDANT. In one very large multi-acre plot of blooming Field Mustard, Queen were everywhere. Photographed a Queen and a Zebra Heliconian in same frame (see pic).

Photographed the only Long-tailed Skipper of the day (They were common until recently).
Photographed one of the two Dorantes Skippers.

Did not try to ID the few small dark Grass Skippers I observed.

I positively identified a couple Tropical Checkered-Skipper(s) and a couple Common/White. I did not try to ID the 20 or so other Checkered-Skippers I saw.

Spent most of the time chasing grasshoppers and katydids.

Sunny and 79 degrees for a high today. My first crop of zinnias self seeded this second crop. They are only 12” tall vs 4-5 feet tall for the first crop but they are blooming and providing nectar for lots of butterflies!

11am-115pm, 75-81 degrees, sunny, windy

1400-1600, 22-23C, Wind NNW 10MPH, Full Sun, Field with low vegetation (Beggars Tick, Field Mustard) near wooded swamp areas.
I was mainly looking for grasshoppers, but could not ignore the butterflies, many of which still looked to be in good shape.
I have had the Dorantes here at this location before this late in the season. But it is always a surprise to see any and they are rare here. I took the photos to partly assure myself. The ventral and flight shots posted here are of the identical individual.
The Zebra Heliconian(s) were at the edge of the swamp. There was a handful of them floating around in the same general area. They seem somewhat late for Georgia and they and the Dorantes were not expected today.
I probably just missed the Tropical Checkered-Skippers when I was here a few days ago. It is no longer a surprise to see them in SW Georgia in the right habitat.