March 2020 Sightings

Temperature to 75F, Sunny. No wind.

Mostly sunny with cirrus and a slight southerly breeze.50-55 degrees. 12:30-3:00 pm. FOY butterflies for me.

(21-118). Clear skies, Temp near 70. Earliest-ever Brazilian Skipper for me. (FL 85).

75 degrees, sunny.

Start weather: Mostly sunny, 74 degrees, 15mph wind
End weather: Cloudy, 76 degrees, 15mph wind
Start time: 11:45am
End time: 2:45pm
Ronda Spink and Barbara Woodmansee

1120am-145pm, 74 degrees, strong winds, partly cloudy

70F - a large number of swallowtails and very early.
an hour and a half of watching.

66F

Azure not determined to subspecies. Cloudless Sulphurs are unusual here this time of year, but it’s been an extremely mild winter.

Primitive deep forested area near creek, very rocky I had never seen this before.

(15-56) Mostly cloudy and cool. (FL 86).

Mostly sunny, low 70s, breezy.

FOS

Extended dryness is causing the butterflies to seek any moisture they can find. At the Pond, hundreds of Echo Azures were jostling for the best spot.

Also saw one Chalcedon caterpillar.

70F
- 2 hrs. watching.

western portion off Old Avon Park Road

Gulf Fritillary is not too surprising, but for an Echo Azure to fly through? I’ve only had that once in the past 20 years.

Seen in woods where there was little air movement and mild. My first of the year too.

72F

69, 67F

Sunny, mostly calm, 1 pm-3 pm. Warm sunlit sandy road through mixed pine, holly, maple, oak woodlands. Also saw one fast-moving Erynnis, likely juvenalis, that defied photo capture.

Usually not excited about Cabbage Whites, but, heck, they’re the first sighting of the year and pretty early.
Upper 50’s today, following a trend of a very mild winter in area.

This is the earliest date that I’ve seen Mourning Cloaks in Queens, or the Northeast for that matter. Not surprising in light of this “non-winter”.

Start weather: Mostly cloudy, 71 degrees, 15mph wind
End weather: Mostly cloudy, 79 degrees, 16mph wind
Start time: 9:45am
End time: 2:00pm
Ronda Spink and Barbara Woodmansee

First butterfly of the season.

Upper 80s, partly cloudy, and windy. Wind made it difficult to ID at times as a few nymphalids, a swallowtail, and several sulphurs literally blew right by too quickly to get a definitive ID…

65 degrees, sunny.

Sunny & 75. Became breezy in the afternoon. Conditions are very dry. Saw only 1 or 2 individuals for most species.

Sunny, breezy, low 70s. Late afternoon hike…

Also saw a Comma.

Only 59 degrees at home in the shade but warmer in the sunny woods here so we expected to see as many Henry’s Elfins as yesterday (12).

120-410pm, 67 degrees, sunny, windy

Sunny, breezy, 70 degrees. Lots of activity!

Sunny, mid 50’s to low 60’s, 12:30 to 5:30 pm. Upper end of Road #7, and Road #5, Bridle Trail #12, and Picnic Point. American Snout a complete surprise.

Windy & overcast, not great butterfly weather

Partly cloudy, mid 60s, breezy.

Sunny & 65 degrees.

The south end of the park where one each was seen on a long walk

Warm upper 60’s. Sunny

1st 2 butterflies of the year for me.

Fluttering in the shade of a pink powderpuff tree near some wild plumbago

Backyard garden, hairstreaks nectaring on flowering cilantro, 5 pm, sunny, 80 degrees, very windy.

5 Pm late afternoon walk after work in 70° temperature

62F

59F

(13-50) Sunny. Thistle was the main food source. High number of metalmarks for Pinellas. (FL 87)

Mourning Cloaks. YAY MA. Butterflies🦋🦋🦋

10:15 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Weather: 70°-77°, winds: 9-16 mph, sun a.m.-0%; p.m.-10%. Nectar: thistle, pickerelweed, papaya, daisy fleabane. Also 5 cats, 2 eggs of Zebra Sw on pawpaw; 2 cats of Little Metalmark on thistle. L.Cooper, SFarnsworth, R.Spink, NWilson.

64F

Start weather: Mostly sunny, 75 degrees, 3-10mph wind
End weather: Mostly cloudy, 80 degrees, 3-10mph wind
Start time: 10:50am
End time: 4:30pm
R. Spink and N. Wilson

Partly cloudy, warm (80 deg F), wind 5 mph.
10:30 - 13:05 CDT.

315-5pm, 77 degrees, sunny, light wind. The Zebra Swallowtail colony seems to be thriving after the preserve experienced heavy mowing. I’ve never seen so many Zebras.

67F 2 Hrs. watching

65, 63 F

It was 80 degrees and sunny. Thistle was blooming along with briars and a few smaller ones. We checked out the plum trees with hopes of a Great Blue Hairstreak usually found there. And checked the Junipers for a Sweadner’s but found none. The usual early Red Admirals were missing at Woody Pond Dam.

With John Hibbard and Lisa Hug. Temperature mid-60s at best, butterflies not flying until about 11:00AM. San Bruno Elfin and Bay Checkerspot are federally-endangered, we had the good fortune to see several of both. Not listed were two unidentified blues (fly-bys), and two Coastal Green Hairstreaks (beautiful bluegreen underside).

73F

First Monarch of the year, floating around the parking lot at the church. Cellphone pic obtained by my wife, Fran.

In a two and a half-mile walk, I only found two Eastern Commas at the end of my ag field sunning and quick to take flight with none anywhere else to my surprise at the one to two timeframe in full sun.

10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Weather: 74°-84°, winds 4-6 mph, 100% sun all day. Road 10 only. Nectar: thistle, spermacoce, pickerelweed. LCooper, RSpink, NWilson.

1130pm, 78 degrees, sunny, calm

(22-155) South Ridgemoor section. Sunny with temps reaching 78.

Sunny and 79 degrees. This location is on a Coastal River and has fresh water springs and creeks. The Azure was a (American) Holly Azure. The Henry’s Elfin use Yapon Holly and are ‘Yawehus’ subspecies.

1030am-1210pm, 73-78 degrees, sunny, calm, with members of the NABA Sarasota Chapter

1:30 - 4:00 p.m. Weather: 86°-92°, winds 9-11 mph, sun 100%. Nectar: thistle, pickerelweed, Daisy fleabane, Spanish needles. Different area of park covered. LCooper, RSpink, NWilson, EAstrove, friend, AClarke, HRosner-Katz, BHigdon,

One of two walks. 10 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Weather: 74°-83°, winds 6-9 mph, sun 100%. Nectar: thistle, frog fruit, Spanish needles, Daisy fleabane, roserush. LCooper, RSpink, NWilson, LBoing, CHuegel, PCrocker, GCrocker, KDolamore, CDunn, SDunn, LDunn,PStrauss.

FOS Statira Sulpher - very early - poorly photographed

Sunny and 75.

10 a.m. - 5:15 p.m. Weather: 74°-86°, winds 2-6 mph; sun a.m.-90%, p.m.-80%. Cemetery Rd has good recent burns as does West Loop to Crossover Rd to East Loop. Nectar sources: thistle, spermacoce, Daisy fleabane, coreopsis spp. LCooper, EPerry, RSpink, RWarner

(18-103) Mostly sunny w/temps near 80. We walked the entire 5-mile loop starting at 8:30. (FL 92).

Sunny slight northerly breeze with the temperature only attaining fifty degrees today seeing the Comma in the woods and the Cabbage White in a previously mowed cornfield with a southern slope/exposure.

Partly Cloudy, 80 degrees.

PArtly cloudy & 80 degrees.

1:45pm-3:30pm
Social distancing at its finest!

140-445pm, 82 degrees, sunny, calm

Much cooler at 65 degrees with mostly cloudy skies.

Very surprised see this butterfly in my yard this early in the season. Sorry no photo, gone before I could get my camera

Start weather: Clear, 72 degrees, calm
End weather: Mostly sunny, 87 degrees, calm
Start time: 10:05am
End time: 5:00pm
R. Spink and B. Woodmansee

1505-1615, The park is mainly for active use (ballfields and playgrounds) but I spent some time wandering the weedy edges.

12:28-14:12, Sunny

Start weather: Clear, 78 degrees, calm
End weather: Mostly sunny, 86 degrees, calm
Start time: 11:30am
End time: 4:00pm
R. Spink, B. Woodmansee

With Steve Raduns

61F

This individual flew for three hours as I worked nearby only to vanish when I was able to wash my hands and get a camera.

85 degrees, mostly sunny.

A very warm day (near 80) and a very early spring. Azure not determined to subspecies.

Early butterflies get the nectar. This is extremely early for us to see any butterflies in North Georgia. Normally Monarchs pass through before any other butterflies emerge. This has been a very early spring weather for us.

Very little blooming other than Fleabane and Swamp Dogwood

0919-1230, Temps starting at 71℉ and rising to 80℉, Partly cloudy and windy

Cloudy day, not a lot of activity. The Pond Area had all of the Large Marbles (where mustard is blooming), and most of the Echo Azures. Zero Nymphalids today, except for the Ringlets.

Yard butterflies!

85 degrees mostly sunny.

Saw the Giant Swallowtail nearby but not in the garden.

A white peacock, a fairly new visitor to my butterfly garden

Butterflied from 10:30am-3:30pm
Bull Thistles were loaded with skippers on a picture perfect day

1310-1450, Temperature 82℉, Partly cloudy and windy.

(12-61) Partly sunny. The day before the state closed ALL Florida state parks due to coronavirus.

1st sighting around Salt Lake this year.

Start weather: Partly cloudy, 81 degrees, 4mph wind
End weather: Partly cloudy, 81 degrees, 4-10mph wind
Start time: 1:15pm
End time: 4:40pm

sunny 73-80F

Had trouble yesterday with my camera, so went back today mainly to photograph the marbles. Was there very early to just photograph a roosting pearly marble.

Very chilly with a high of only 48 degrees in full sun and only a slight bit of air movement. I found the Cabbage Whites in the same old mowed cornfield as yesterday where this is usually a warmer area.

Much cooler, 69 degrees mostly cloudy. NE winds make it feel cooler.

Sunny to mostly cloudy in the late afternoon. Temp high 68.

Saw a white and a sulphur from a distance but not able to ID to species. Fairly windy and chilly- mid 40’s.

(15-105) Cow Creek Rd. Mostly sunny. Primary nectar sources were fleabane & thistle. A short, late-afternoon, one-hour search. (FL 100).

85 degrees, full sun, light breeze.

85 degrees, full sun & windy. The Boat Landing at Harris Neck NWR was the only location within 5 miles of our home where the gnats and deer flies weren’t swarming at our truck windows! Some of these photos were taken through the glass. I wish I knew the name of the plant the Giant Swallowtail was oviposting on!

overcast, partly cloudy- mid 50’s

230-420pm, 81 degrees, sunny, light wind

This morning we got 1/4” rain but it’s still quite dry. Saw a couple new species today. 85 degrees, full sun, light breeze.

Saw at 2:38 in wooded area; first of year

Dry, high 50’s. Mid morning. Only flowers in immediate area are cranesbill.

Seen in the same protected field with old corn stalks that have been mowed and Field Pennygrass now flowering. The high temp was 53 under changeable skies and a slight breeze 3-5 MPH, right on Mason-Dixon line

Cool and cloudy morning followed by sun and temperatures climbing into the low 60s F by late afternoon. “Spring” Azure here is better referred to Summer Azure spring form, our earliest azure species.

Start weather: Partly cloudy, 71 degrees, calm
End weather: Partly cloudy, 89 degrees, 5mph wind
Start time: 9:55am
End time: 4:50pm
R. Spink and B. Woodmansee

First butterflies of the year.

Finally, after days and days of rain, we had a beautiful day with a high of 85! The Southern Dogface was a surprise, we usually don’t see them in the spring. As is typical for spring brood butterflies, not much was stopping long enough to get photos. As I was leaving to go to the park, I had a Sleepy Orange fly through the back yard.

began cloudy, ended up sunny, mid-50s, light breeze

75 degrees, cloudy.

75 degrees, cloudy. Most of the photos were taken through the truck window as the gnats were swarming!

First butterfly of the year. Seen while birding

74 degrees, sunny & breezy. Henry’s Elfin (yawehus subspecies) was nectaring on it’s host plant, ilex vomitoria, yapon holly. The Spring Azure was on it’s host American Holly & is a ‘Holly’ Azure.

Mostly in Lake Delancy area. Very dry; few nectar sources besides some scattered thistle. SR 19 roadside recently mowed.

Dry conditions; little pollen sources except some thistles. HWy 19 recently mowed.

Woohoo first of the season here in the Catskills!

cloudy, mid 60’s

First garden butterfly for the year!

one adult, nectaring on Littleleaf Sumac Rhus microphylla

Mostly sunny, 67 degrees, and occasionally breezy.

2:15 - 3:15 pm EDT. Partly cloudy, 78 deg F, wind 0-5 mph. First-of-season: swallowtails (Zebra, Eastern Tiger), Dreamy Duskywing, Sleepy Orange. First Falcate Orangetip females (2 of 8). Abundant Juvenal’s Duskywings.

1130-230pm, 80-82 degrees, sunny, calm

Start weather: Clear, 88°, 5mph wind
End weather: Clear, 92°, 7mph wind
Start time: 12:45pm
End time: 3:30pm

11am to noon

My first sighting of Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak for Hillsborough County, which just so happened to be in my own backyard!

area around wildflower garden
overcast 79 and windy

The Fulvous’ have been present 4 days running. Temps reached 90 this afternoon.

Social Distancing Practiced

Finally a sunny day, around 60 but a little windy. It was great to get outdoors.

partly cloudy to sunny, mid 60’s to low 70’s

Start weather: Partly cloudy, 85°, 15mph wind
End weather: Cloudy, 79°, 15mph wind
Start time: 2:15pm
End time: 4:30pm
R. Spink and B. Woodmansee

Start weather: Cloudy, 78°, 13mph wind
End weather: Cloudy, 85°, 15mph wind
Start time: 11:30am
End time: 2:00pm
R. Spink and B. Woodmansee

With Dusty Rhodes. 10AM-2PM. Full sun, winds 10-20/5-10 later. 72-80F. Prairie and riparian areas. Hiked 3.5 mi. Various Verbenas were most popular for nectar.

Observed and recorded the butterflies photographed in abundance on a sunny, light breeze, mid eighty degree morning. Lovely 2 hour (9 am -12 pm) hike on Peaceful Ridge Trail.

i have been waiting for the first mountain butterflies, but there is still too much snow. so i decided to go down the mountain to get my early sighting. there had been a report of moss’ elfins already. i was hoping to find one. no elfins but happily there were a few butterflies for me to see.

Another nice day. Surprised to see so many azures, 10, and the other butterfly I saw was Eastern Comma which wasn’t such a surprise