Sighting for April 24, 2016
Tom Fiore
Harriman State Park, north-eastern sections
Rockland County, NY
- Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 6
- Spicebush Swallowtail 1
- Cabbage White 4
- Falcate Orangetip 6+
- Orange Sulphur 1
- American Copper 1
- Brown Elfin 30+
- Eastern Pine Elfin 1
- Gray Hairstreak 1
- Eastern Tailed-Blue 1
- Spring Azure 50++
- Pearl Crescent 1
- Eastern Comma 1
- Mourning Cloak 6+
- American Lady 1
- Red Admiral 1
- Juvenal's Duskywing 25+
very extensive hike along stream courses to higher ridges with much blueberry in bloom; almost all sightings in Rockland but a few in adjacent Orange Co. of NY as well. Many species & individuals seen in fresh-good condition. Azures nearly abundant in a few areas with blueberry, and some females seen laying eggs on the blueberry plants. Most sightings in warmer afternoon sun, only a few before 11 a.m.; some species also hill-topping late in the day. The variety of species out was a slight surprise. Spicebush Sw.-tail seems early yet an experienced observer found one a week or more earlier in the same ‘lower Hudson’ region of N.Y. [PS, Azure numbers noted are very conservative, there were a lot!]