April 2014 Sightings

Finally spring is here!!
3 unidentified Anglewings sped by

Most activity was around the butterfly garden in the tropical zone area.

With Jane Lampkin & Karen Finch

50 degrees
sunny
some breeze

Sunny, but windy (30-40mph)

All of the overwinter-ers looked in very good shape. Air temp. 60 F., late-day looking.

61-62F
male Pipevine Swallowtail on Salvia
male Monarch on Asian pear

With Jane Lampkin and Karen Finch.
Karen spotted the Fulvous Hairstreak, the photo is mine.
Fulvous is uncommon this far north in Florida.

Rob Santry and I visited Anza Borrego Desert State Park on a windy cool day.

sunny afternoon in my unmowed yard, a variety of wildflowers and grasses

First monarch I have seen this year. It landed on several A. curassavica plants.

With Jane Lampkin, Karen Finch, Roy Morris and Kathy Cherry

With Jane Lampkin and Karen Finch

+ 1 Duskywing sp.

Rob Santry and I visited the Yuma area. One Western Diamond Back Rattler didn’t welcome us in a desert wash, but otherwise we enjoyed our visit! There were Mallow Scrub-Hairstreaks at each of our stops!

59-63 F

This Cabbage White was my first butterfly sighting for 2014.

Difficult to believe - considering the protracted cold (and some 20 snowstorms) of this past winter and early spring - but this year’s Cabbage White sighting actually beat my first Cabbage White sighting last year - April 9th, 2013. My memory was faulty. It was two years ago, that I sighted my first butterfly of the year much earlier, again a Cabbage White, on March 12th, 2012.

The Delaware Nature Society’s Jim White actually saw his first Cabbage White mid-week last week in far northern New Castle County.

While out on a nature walk, saw the first butterfly of the year. A well preserved Mourning Cloak went sailing past.

Rob Santry and I briefly visited Bob’s Gap on our way home from the desert.

Cofaqui Giant Skipper looked fresh and was seen ~100 yards down from Lake Delancy Rec. Area parking lot on the left side near several Yucca plants.

71-78F
male Orangetip, very small
Brown Elfin on hop tree - most were on hop trees

72-77F
female western pine elfin on poison oak

My first Wisconsin butterflies of the year!

68degrees – snow hanging on in spots — started walk 3:30pm

very small Anise Swallowtail - about the size of a Cabbage White.

1st Lorquin’s Admiral of the year.

All butterflies seen were flitting, resting, or puddling. The only wildflowers blooming at these elevations were coltsfoot (plenty) and a couple of hepaticas. Toothwort in bud, so we’re hoping to see West Virginia Whites soon.

Also two anglewings flying but could not ID to species

With Jane Lampkin and Karen Finch

As reported by survey partner Alan Wells
Temps in the 50’s, sunny

Painted Lady migrants are here now.

Just ~1.5miles to the “camp”. Didn’t count on way back. Still around a foot in spots (especially the northern side of the mts).

on a slow bus ride down the NJ turnpike from NYC to DC a lot of traffic made for an easy vigil for butterflies. The above location clearly appeared to be the line between the “butterfly” and “no butterfly” zones from north to south. Plenty of cabbage whites and a couple of yellow sulphurs close to DC.

seen by mom & son; first of year for TF.

With Jane Lampkin

This was one team of the Annutteliga Hammock NABA count compiled by Don Stillwaugh. Team Two - Skip and Jane Blanchard, Buck and Linda Cooper. Much Sparkleberry in bloom but not many hairstreaks taking advantage of its nectar. Baracoa Skipper was new to the count. This is the most Southern Dogfaces we have ever seen.

Thistle plentiful,, but little on it. I found one Cofaqui egg on Yucca filamentosa in general area where adult reported recently.

Very warm (upper 70s), sunny, light breeze. Washington Ditch and associated boardwalk.

Start of a very warm, sunny weekend. Henry’s Elfin, Zebra Swallowtails, and Palamedes were all on the wing; later in the weekend Henry’s was especially common on flowering horse sugar (Symplocos) and along the sandy ditch trails.

Two individual Hoary Elfin’s were flying and seemed to be patrolling their territory.

Also seen were Gulf Fritillaries, Monarchs off the shoreline.

First Blues of 2014; ditto for the Commas.
Cabbage White population everywhere has increased exponentially over the past week.
Almost all butterflies observed were flying rather than nectaring…

Skipper and hairstreak sp. in flight only

Sightings for both April 12 and 13. Continuing warm and sunny; Palamedes and Zebra Swallowtail numbers building considerably. Kicked up a Henry’s Elfin every 20 feet or so along Williamson Ditch.

Falcate Orangetip males just out; Spring Azure prob. among 1st of year at site; Mourning Cloaks in very good condition. A 70 degree day after a lot of very chilly early April days. Few flowers so far…

67-69F

Indra’s of the shastensis subspecies are beginning their flight.

Nectar plants limited to Bidens alba.

Results from the Meeman-Shelby Forest spring count. 10 Harvesters is a VERY high number.

There’s a quarter-mile of powerline right-of-way at the east end of Cash Lake that has been managed to promote the growth of shadbush and highbush blueberry. This is always a good spot to find Eastern Pine Elfin and Henry’s Elfin; today was no exception. Warm (mid-60’s), partly sunny and breezy. In the field 12:30-3:00 pm.

Warm (mid-60’s), full sun, light breeze. Various locations in and adjacent to Green Ridge State Forest.

First elfin of the year in Wisconsin

Falcate Orangetip males going well; 2 American Ladys hill-topping & chasing each other for king-of-the-hill; each slightly worn-looking. All other butterflies seen in very good condition. Still few flowers… not staying sunny, & cool without the sun out… (photo: T. Fiore)

69 degrees, sunny, slight breeze

3 Grizzled Skippers - 2 nectaring on dwarf cinqufoil, one at a mud puddle.

3 azure sp seen

The Azure pictured is most likely a Holly Azure based on location and it’s proximity to the host plant.

53 - 57 degrees, sunny and windy
Weekly survey with Alan Wells and Danny Albantides
Average of 1/3 butterfly per person

I have been observing a well-established colony of Falcate Orangetips since 2008 in this location, but they have been a bit late this year, probably due to extended cold weather. I was pleasantly surprised today when I finally saw them, even though the temperature was around 59 degrees with a 15-20 mph wind.

highlight of a nice two hour visit in 80 degree sunshine. many more seen in Malvern, about 30 miles to the north, and headed your way….

Late-day visit, thus Falcates not patrolling much; clouds increased limiting hill-topping effect. Gray Hairstreak & Red Admiral each first-of-year & in good condition. A few more flowers in bloom.

A couple unID’d whites

Adult monarch in flight

My first Sulphur of 2014!

nice spot about an hour out of Little Rock, sunny 85 degrees

first-of-year here.

Nice numbers of West Virginia Whites including a pair mating, see photo. Weather finally warming enough here to get some activity.

Hiked main pipe-line trail about mid-day. Warm in the sun but temps dropped later in the afternoon when it clouded over. Three Gray Hairstreaks in one trip was a high count for me! Also saw a Bluish Spring Moth.

A beautiful, warm day. The goatweed leafwing immediately greeted us as we parked

My first Falcate Orangetip ever at this location!

Also, my first Pearl Crescent of 2014.

Temperatures in the lower 60’s.

With Dusty Rhodes (photos). Temp. 85F, full sun. Spent 2 hours along the park road in meadows. Most activity on Nuttall’s thistle; Mock Bishop’s Weed attracted female Black Swallowtails. Bidens was present but scarce.

Probably warmest day of year so far, 88 degrees, strong easterly wind, flowers in butterfly garden are just starting to bloom.

under sunny sky with the temperature around 65 F. The Hoary Elfin was a lifer.

In four years of trying to photograph the Small Blue, this is the first time I’ve seen them flying! This species can skip eclosing multiple years due to drought and this part of California has been in severe drought for years.

My wife and I drove into the Mojave Desert to Red Rocks State Park and then drove to the known Small Blue colony located in the Alabama Hills on the Whitney Portal Road, west of the town of Lone Pine. Again, Small Blues were flying! This trip is the first time I’ve been able to get photographs of Small Blue due to California’s severe drought.

Our final day and more photographs of Small Blues. These canyons and washes had plenty of wildflowers blooming and the buckwheats were perfect.

Landed on a sweet orange tree.