April 2021 Sightings

Was around 55 degrees and sunny today. Saw our first spring azure.

Went for a bike ride (near Aria and Laurel Road) and spotted the first American Lady I’ve found in Sarasota County. I got off my bike and got within 18 inches of it to be sure the ID was correct. 1pm, 69 degrees and very windy.

With David Rawlinson, Sarab Seth, and Nancy Asquith. Unusually warm (high 70’s), and calm (no wind coming in off the ocean). We had the good fortune to find three of the four federally protected butterflies which occur at SBM: San Bruno Elfin, Bay Checkerspot, and Mission Blue.

First butterflies of the year.

A perfect day for butterflying, Temperature close to 80, little wind and clear blue sky. The butterflies didn’t stay put for very long so hard to get pictures. First Mourning Cloak in 2 years. Early for Cabbage White.

60F 5-7 mph wind no clouds

Pair of mating Luna Moths seen.

1:15 PM: First Cabbage White seen at this location.

Afternoon visit; clearing with sun & 65 high temp.; both Falcate Orangetips seen were male. Spring Azure appeared to be ‘violacea’ form. Rock cresses and other native flowers mostly not seen, still early for them. Walk of around 3+ miles on trail in total, but most butterflies not far from the summit on this visit.

First butterfly of the season flew through our yard in the East Mt Airy section of Philly. Sorry no pics.

The high today was 67, sunny and very windy.

10am to 3:45pm, 69 - 73 degrees, sunny to partly cloudy, 10-15mph wind

Cool, mostly overcast morning, clearing before noon and warming to 70’s. During a 2.4 mile walk mainly in natural areas of riparian park, I counted 210 Pipevine Swallowtails, 1 Western Tiger Swallowtails, 1 Cabbage White, 3 Mournful Duskywing, and 3 Silvery Blue. Pipevines started flying early in walk. Others seen mostly toward the end as it warmed up. the pipevines were mostly in continuous flight till toward the end of the walk. Then I found them nectaring on redbud, fiddleneck, and vetch.

2:30-3:45pm. Wild Coffee (Psychotria nervosa) was the nectar of choice. The Ruddy Daggerwings were all over it and plentiful!

9:15-5:45 Weather: 65°-80°, winds 4-8 mph, 85% sun all day. Nectar: thistles, fleabane, coreopsis. LCooper, DFraser, EPerry, NPrine. Searching for suitable habitat for Yucca Giant-Skipper found few yuccas and zero eggs, cats or adults.

Not the most exciting butterfly, but interesting numbers to see this early.

Weekly Survey With Della Wells and Karen Nickeson. 10 AM to 12:30 PM; air temperature 54-65; sustained winds 1-4 mph with gusts 4-13 mph from NW.

Counted only the Hairstreaks that I could clearly see with binos to ID. Many in the upper parts of the Oaks, I assume most were Oak Hairstreaks. A personal high count of Oak Hairstreaks.

FOY Black Swallowtail. Lousy picture, but he wouldn’t sit still!

A string of nice days and numbers are popping…looking forward to an open day for a hike to look for more diversity

Nice weather! 65-80F, Full Sun, 9:55-4:00PM, Looked mostly in the upland areas and did not go to salt marsh. Most of the Little Wood-Saytr(s) in one small area near a little bridge over a wet area.

Sunny, high in the low 80s. One Falcate Orangetip observed ovipositing on Cardamine hirsuta.

Sunny a little humid and temp of 81 degrees! Saw the first butterflies of 2021. All four of them - Cabbage Whites.

Sunny, late afternoon, in the 80s

10:45-4:30PM, 68-78F, 01-12MPH variable, Mostly sunny
The Little Wood-Satyr(s) and Carolina Satyrs were plentiful along Henderson Road which runs along a shady swamp.
The Pearl Crescents and Salt Marsh Skippers were together on nectar source(s) along Mule Wallow Spur.

Seen at various places along the path from Garth Woods south to Crestwood.

partly sunny, 81 degrees, above average temperatures for last 3 or 4 days.

First of the season butterflies for me.

I saw my FOY Eastern Pine Elfin here on 4/4/21, which is rather early for MA, but did not manage to get a photo until today.

Wildcat Canyon, High Meadow, and Rogue Valley Trails. Swallowtails and duskywings were all hilltopping. California Sister was quite small, and FOS.

With Della Wells; 11 AM to 12 PM; air temperature 55-60 F; sustained winds 3-4 mph with gusts to 10 mph.

72 degrees and sunny.

Hiked over 5 miles through variable terrain (woodland, prairie, meadow, creekside)…still lacking diversity…probably a little early yet. FOY Spring Azure. Rest assured, Cabbage Whites are alive and thriving…

Anise Swallowtail was black and white. It was fresh, not worn, and seen from 3 feet away. I’ve seen a couple of these over 20 years of watching.

cloudy start, then partly sunny, brighter at times in p.m. hours, high in mid-60’s F. - the butterflies seen were almost all during the sunny intervals. No photos of these, although attempted along the trail; not many nectar sources easily seen, yet. Also observed and photographed was a tiger beetle, Cicindela limbalis. Most of the Cabbage Whites were seen in the town. The 1 Falcate Orangetip was male and would not stop patrolling on a steep rocky slope! Trail climbed to summit of Mt. Taurus, where at least ‘commas & cloaks” were hilltopping and cavorting; 1 azure also near there.

1040am-225pm, 77-82 degrees, partly cloudy, windy. Southern Oak Hairstreaks are uncommon here but may be found at this location in April. Found 12 of them today, more than all last year!

Started my weekly survey of Fontenelle Forest this week. Today was cloudy for the first part of the hike, with gradual clearing. It was windy.