December 2017 Sightings

Quite a surprise but temps have been above normal and no snow yet.

Cloudy AM but Sunny earl afternoon.
Wind was light and Northerly
Temps. started the day in the lower 50s, and warmed to mid 70s.
When the sun came out,and warmed up butterflies became very energetic.This made getting a good photo very difficult, which is the reason I have nothing to show.

Many of the leps feeding in one field on the abundant and blooming sleepy morning. Obscure prefers Carolina sea-lavender

around 12:15, temps in upper 40s, bright sun

Monarch was a fresh male.

Seen flying back and forth in yard for about 10 minutes and then across the street and into the pineland area. No nectar plants blooming today.

Sunny by noon
Wind; light and from the NW
Temp; mid 70s
Monarchs are still come here on the beach, and they are still filtering in.They were seen inland from 10 to 15 miles from the coast,yesterday.

2:30pm - 4:00pm. With Leigh Williams. Partly cloudy, 82 degrees. Lots of large trees down and more open area. Many nectar plants blooming, including White Sage, Fire-bush, Saltbush, Bidens, Joy-weed, and Schefflera.

With Leigh Williams. 1245pm - 2:15pm. Sunny, 82 degrees. Saw 10 Monarch’s along the road on Sugarloaf Key prior to getting to Saddle-bunch Key. This is a first for this area.

84 degrees. Partly cloudy. Found 33 species. Dorothy took photos of the Band-celled Sister, Julia Heliconian, Blue Metalmark, and Giant White.

Was very happy to get out to the park (before the cold front) and saw TWO White Scrub-Hairstreaks!

Sunny; high 62 — about 15 degrees below normal. The Three-spotted Skipper was at one point nectaring entirely with the tubular portion of an Oceanblue Morning-glory (Ipomoea indica) flower.

40 degrees. I think that’s the coldest temperature that I have ever seen a butterfly flying.

flying on a sunny afternoon two days after snowfall

Sunny; high 66 — about 12 degrees below normal. Portions of Long Pine Key trails under water. Only common butterflies seen, but I did see a larva and two adults of the spectacular Faithful Beauty moth (Composia fidelissima).

We have had a few days with miserable weather: lows in the 30’s, strong winds, rain and even some snow in the Valley. Many ratty butterflies at end of season. 26 species. Dorothy’s photo of Snout.

Warm and sunny. 1 unidentified phoebis sulphur

Sunny, high in the low 70s

Sunny, high in the low 70s.

Sunny; high 60 — about 10 degrees below normal.

Sunny; high 68 — about 10 degrees below normal.

Painted Ladies were hilltopping, Red Admiral was a fly-by. Warm for December, 74 degrees.

1 female laid about 50 eggs, over about one week, on my Asclepias currasvica about Dec 1. Most eggs hatch,but cats die quickly - too cold at night? Only three remaining cats surviving now.

Bright, sunny day. Teams at 75-80. Just two nectar sources available; bidens and sleepy morning.

Temperature 82. Partly cloudy. 28 species. Photos are of the two most uncommon ones.

The surrounding area was 83-85 degrees but the Park was 70 because of the NW breeze across Falcon Lake! Not much blooming. 15 species. (Falcon State Park is also partly in Starr county.)

83 degrees, clear skies. Golden beach creeper and Bahama Sennas only flowers today. With Leigh Williams.

Miserable weather for butterflying: heavy overcast, 50’s and low 60’s. Persistance got 16 species.

With LWilliams and CGoodrich during Key West CBC.

This was the last day before an arctic blast reaches the Gulf of Mexico;bringing a week of lows in the twenties.The day started sunny and mid 40s,and warmed into the upper 50s by early afternoon;then the clouds move in.