May 2021 Sightings

2:30 - 3:30 PM: Western Meadows of Park.

Surprised at how few butterflies were around.

Went for a walk next to campus, small field behind student housing with wildflower and weed overgrowth.

We went to several locations hoping to see some spring butterflies. We were a little disappointed because of some habitat management that was done in one of our favorite Frosted Elfin sites.

Weather was off and on-it started out mostly sunny, 54°, 14mph winds. It changed almost every hour. It would be sunny, then cloudy, then sunny and we ended the day with mostly cloudy, 70°, 14-17mph wind.

Sunny but windy. A late year. Diversity and number of individuals down for this date compared to most years.

Sparkleberry in full bloom!

Our first Gray Hairstreaks here today on Helitrope. American Snout is most unusual at this location.

Butterfly walk for 5 AmeriCorps & Sparrow Techs, CWelch, MEScheidt, LCooper. 10 a.m.-noon. Weather: 77°-89°,sunny, light winds. Nectar: thistles.

The lone Eastern Tailed-Blue was quite worn (see photo).
1:15-3:00PM, 78-81F, NE-E 5-15MPH, Mostly Clear, 20% Cloud Cover, Weedy fields next to wooded swamp

Around 8:30 am in marshy area. Sunny, low 60’s.

First Monarch of the season.

With Steve Rosenthal

Weather was sunny, 72-75°, 18-20mph winds

Ronda Spink, Pam Dehnke, and Dennis Dunlap

The weather was sunny, 79-81°, and 19-20mph winds. We went to several different locations.

9:45 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Weather: 78°-87°, mostly sunny, light winds. Helping with survey for Dukes’ Skippers in area where it is hard to know which agency/entity is in charge or the actual name of the property. The survey area is North Grade Rd to Center Grade Rd and return to Hwy. 471. Loop is 15.5 miles. Nectar: thistles, buttonbush, palmetto, Spanish needles, pickerelweed. DFraser, LCooper

sunny, high 70’s
1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Both of the species are possibly firsts-of-year for the park or even for the county. In most years, Sootywing is not a common sight here, despite its English first name.

Spicebush Swallowtails were each males and appeared very freshly-emerged. The Summer Azure is the usual species of azure found in this park, the true “spring” forms are all rare, or very rare there. We have seen at least occasional “Summer” azures in N.Y. City in the spring months, including in other places where the ‘spring’ forms would be rare to very rare. Also, this is not an earliest date for Summer azure in N.Y. City. Today’s visit was very late, but with warmth & sun, a few nice observations.

Standing outside my apartment right off campus drinking coffee. Saw a Monarch fly by. It looked faded not as bright as other Monarchs. It didn’t land however. Flew strongly.

90 degrees, breezy.

Sunny, near 70 degrees
Started at 3pm

The Buckeye photos shows sandy soil of the Fall Line Sandhills.
Variegated Fritillary appeared to be ovipositing. Left the pics wide to show the plant (They were long distance shots anyway).
Two photos of identical Whirlabout individual.
Not many butterflies, but wind probably played some role.
11:00AM-2:00PM, 76-83F, SE 9-24MPH At times very windy, Mostly Cloudy, Cloud Cover 83>55%

First of year Monarch was an ovipositing female.

Did part of our weekly survey at Fontenelle Forest on May 4. Saw an eclosure of Pearl Crescents. It was around 60 degrees, windy but sunny. We were out for around 1 hour

It was only around 55 degrees and wind gust up to 20 mph but it was sunny.

Partly to mostly cloudy, upper 70s, light breeze. Had the opportunity to observe an extremely territorial Mourning Cloak continually chase away a Spicebush Swallowtail from a sunny corner on the trail…

I have been observing Henry’s Elfin here for over 30 years at one of the southernmost locations in Wisconsin.

Still a very late or very poor year at locations I’ve been visiting for 30+ years. Only species seen in good numbers was the Azure species.

74-80F, NW 7-14MPH, Mostly Sunny, Cloud Cover 11>1%, 12:00 noon-3:00PM, Fields and dirt roads near/next to swamps

Slow start to butterfly season here, with nothing besides Cabbage Whites seen until today.

Photos: Female Whirlabout Flower-hopping 3-shot Sequence (and a dorsal view).

Last time here (01 May: https://sightings.naba.org/sightings/19206) I found and photographed only one (1) very worn Eastern Tailed-Blue. Today there were at least 10 very fresh ones.

74-76F, NW 14-22MPH (Constantly quite windy), Clear, Cloud Cover 5>2%, Fields next to swamps, 2:00 - 4:30PM

Sunny, temps in the 60’s

Suboptimal day…cloudy, cool, mid-60s. Rain predicted for the next 3 days, so I figured I’d sneak out for a bit and was rewarded with the FOY Silver Spotted Skippers and Zabulon Skipper!

Hoping to see a Shaus’ Swallowtail on my FL vacation, I was amazed to see 18 in 5 hours of walking. I was even more amazed when processing the pictures to find I had photographed a pair of mating Bahamian Swallowtails!

Plenty of flowers to look through for small butterflies, but few found.

73-83F, SE-SW 10-23MPH, Mostly Sunny, Cloud Cover 8>25%, 11:00-1300.

Sightings for the past week.Yard activity has been slow.

Mostly cloudy, mid 60s. This activity is below expectations for this location at this time. The season is well behind in many locations.

3 different locations in Key Largo.

Midday, sunny, high 70’s

Temp 55 at 10 and heavily overcast but sunny 30 minutes later! Up to 70 degrees and heavily overcast again by 4. Butterfly activity sun dependent.

The Variegated Fritillary photographed appeared to be ovipositing.

74-80F, W 3-7MPH, Mostly Cloudy 79-76% Cloud Cover

Yesterday was not a day for butterflying with high near 60 degrees and more clouds than sunshine but still did first part of weekly survey. It was a day of first sightings for Monarch, American Lady, Silver Spotted Skipper, Orange Sulphur and Eastern Tailed Blue

Late afternoon after rain day before.

Primarily doing a dragonfly hunt, but enjoyed some active butterfly activity.

was sunny and 62 degrees. Saw the first Monarch in the garden along with the first Common Sootywing.

Sunny low humidity and light breeze. Temp of 62. First common checkered visited cert garden #2490.

Sunny - started 8am-10am
Hiked Canyon Hollow to Ghost Fails Trail and over to Clarks Trail.

Sunny, 70 degrees.
Started around 3pm.

This Tiger approached as we were having dinner. I’ve seen only 2 in Sarasota County and this is the first in 2 years. A common butterfly elsewhere, very rare here.

Sunny, warm at 67 degrees, dry conditions.

Sightings include five species seen May 11, which are noted without the numbers.

It seems early for a Sachem.

With Della Wells. Clear, calm, and sunny, air temperature 58-65 F.

Great weather 35-65. Sunny.

Road is still closed. Walked from road to trail head and then to the meadow. Trail is still cover in foot+ of snow - some openings.

With Dusty Rhodes, Becky Neill, Dot Maginot (photos), Sherry Wilson, Lee Haile. Overcast, then sunny late morning. Low 70s, winds 5-10mph. Spring is late this year at the park. Main nectar sources: Antelope Horn Milkweed, Verbenas, Straggler Daisy.

10:15a.m.-12:30 p.m. Weather: 70°-73°. Walked trails in meadows and along creek. Beautifully maintained Montevallo city park. LCooper

74-76F, NE 9-11 MPH, Clear, Cloud Cover 8-14%, 1400-1615, Mostly walked around the fields which were near small swampy area.

Along the road (MD 272) to Turkey Point there were only a few Zebra Swallowtails seen, however on the parking lot of Rogues Harbor, a boat launch facility, there was a hillside of blooming Blackberry and Multiflora Rose, where my first Zabulons and Zebra Swallowtails were seen.

Near intersection of WI-47 and WI-182.

Sunny and 75 degrees.

Starting weather: Partly to mostly cloudy, 55°, 11mph wind
Ending weather: Partly to mostly cloudy, 66°, 12mph wind
Start time: 10:00am
End time: 3:25pm

Ronda Spink, Pam Dehnke, Dennis Dunlap

We went to several locations including: 41st Street/121st Ave., 123rd Ave./48th Street, 36th Street, 49th Street, 126th Avenue, and 42nd Street

Ronda Spink Pam Dehnke, and Dennis Dunlap

Beautiful Apache Plum and many other fresh nectar plants but few butterflies related to drought.

Limited butterflies probably related to drought. Hiked 3 hours saw Apache Plum in full bloom and many other fresh nectar plants.

On a Mexican Sunflower

78-79F, NE>E 7-10 MPH, Clear, Cloud Cover 2-7%, 1345-1615. Rural roadsides near swamps.

A 1.5 hour stop on the way to the airport at Castellow Hammock.

Pipevines in middle of first of three broods for southwest PA.
All were seen taking minerals from damp sand along Ohio River.
1:15 to 2:15, sunny, and 70.

Mostly sunny, light breeze, 70s. Despite warmer weather for a few days numbers seem a bit down…

Starting weather: Partly cloudy, 66°, 8mph wind
Ending weather: Partly cloudy, 72°, 4mph wind
Start time: 1:10pm
End time: 5:35pm

We also saw what has been declared to be a Cherry Gall Azure (Celastrina serotina) ovapositing on the galls on Black Cherry

Ronda Spink and Pam Dehnke

Still a very slow start and far fewer species and individuals present than normal. Eastern Pine Elfin uncommonly seen here. Three caterpillars seen of Harris’ Checkerspot

Glorious array of nectar plants in bloom but very few butterflies probably related to drought. Hiked 3 hours and saw 3 butterflies! Metalmark was just emerged.

First time the American Lady visited certified butterfly garden. Sunny with some breeze, temp of 63.

10 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. Weather: 70°-82°, light winds, mostly sunny. Sparkleberry was abundant on the Green Trail. Yucca Giant-Skipper caterpillars found on Yucca filamentosa along with hatched and unhatched eggs.
POgard, LCooper.

Mid 80’s, many garden flowers blooming including meadow sage, evening primrose, chocolate flower, roses, and yarrow.

The drought has greatly impacted this area. Very few individuals were seen during my 4 days in the area. One no ID white and no ID sulphur were also observed.

The Cofaqui Giant-Skipper flew by and landed on the opposite side of a tree in deep shade out of my view. I moved to where I could see the Cofaqui. The Cofaqui was extremely backlit and the light was varying quite a bit as I was taking photos. The Cofaqui became aware of my presence and shuffled sideways on the tree out of my view again. I moved around to the other side for a couple more photos before the Cofaqui flew away.

70-81F, SE 7-14 MPH, Clear, Cloud Cover 16>49%, 0930-1530. Fall Line Sandhills Habitat with lots of yucca.

A check for spring Dukes’ Skipper where it has been historically seen came up negative. There is still a noticeably large dragonfly population that is probably keeping the butterfly population low. Surveyed with WWallenstein & SMcLeod from 8:30 a to 1 pm. A good time was had by all.

Starting weather: Clear, 72°, 8-10mph wind
Ending weather: Partly cloudy, 85°, 8-10mph wind
Start time: 11:35am
End time: 4:00pm

We went to several different locations mainly surveying for Frosted Elfins

Ronda Spink, Pam Dehnke, Dennis Dunlap, Ashley Colewick, and Mitch Lettow

It was a terrible day for butterflying but with the whole week going to be rainy with brief periods of dryness we went anyway. it was 100% cloud cover and around 68 degrees. The grass was still wet from the rain.

Trailside Yarrow is in full bloom, main attractant for checkerspots at present. Unfortunately the Leaniras were not on it.
Leaniras and Rural Skipper were FOS.

Partly Cloudy, light breeze, upper 70s. FOY Monarchs, Viceroy, and Red-Banded Hairstreak…

One Horace’s Duskywing looked worn (photograph). Others looked in good shape. They were flying around a field with much tall Vervain (Verbena) and count is a low estimate.

80-84F, SE 12-19MPH, Partly Cloudy, Cloud Cover 48%, 1245-1500, Weedy feeds and roadsides.

Species encountered while birding. More individuals were likely present; three is a minimum count.

Not much in bloom along River Trace. 11 am - 2 pm Weather: 76°-82°, clear to partly cloudy and breezy.

Searching for Early Hairstreaks at a known location, but none were found.

in mid 70’s but 90% cloudy. Were able to see a few butterflies. Saw 2 Monarchs, they are moving further north.

Sunny, light breeze, mid-80s. Wi Hit Tuk Park and Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary…about 5 miles apart. FOY American Lady, Peck’s Skippers and Little Wood Satyrs…

Starting weather: Partly cloudy, 84°, 11mph wind
Ending weather: Mostly cloudy, 84°, 11mph wind
Start time: 3:45pm
End time: 6:09pm

Ronda Spink, Jason Rutgers

With Della Wells; 9:00 am - 1:30 pm; sunny, 64-75F

Chilly low 60s and windy, but sheltered sunny glades had good activity.

It was 69 degrees when we started hiking, temperature reached 75 by the end of our 2 1/2 hour hike. There was a profusion of fresh blooms all along the trail we saw a few bees and grasshoppers but practically no butterflies.

It was 75 degrees when we began hiking and reached 85 during our afternoon hike of 4 hours. We checked lots of fresh blooms of thistle, Scorpion tail, Bear Grass, Nettles, Verbana & numerous other native plants we could not identify. It rained night before last and the ground remains wet & there are pools of water in several places in the Canyon. Butterfly activity is very low related to the drought. We had one unidentified white.

Sunny, near 70 degrees
Start just before 3pm

only between 11 and 11:30
sunny and 80
all sightings were of butterflies on sandy bank of Ohio River

Monarch moving east through the park’s northern perimeter

Banded Hairstreak was very worn.

83-87F, E 13-19 MPH Constantly Windy, Partly Cloudy to Clear, Cloud Cover 43 to 27%, 1400-1630, weedy fields and swamp edges.

Sunny breezy and 88 degrees. Two Black Swallowtails emerged from chrysalides that were formed last fall.

The Copper was really worn already.

Starting weather: Clear, 84°, 9-10mph wind
Ending weather: Clear, 84°, 9-10mph wind
Start time: 2:30pm
End time: 6:30pm

We went to several different locations including: 59th Street, 52nd Street Marsh, 120th Ave./51st Street, 120th Ave. east between 51st Street and pipeline, 120th Ave. at the pipeline right of way, 122nd Ave. at the pipeline right of way west of 48th Street, 48th Street (Olympia Marble Site) at the pipeline right of way, and a Frosted Elfin Site (we parked along M-89 1/4 of a mile west of 48th Street

Ronda Spink and Dennis Dunlap

The gravel portion of the road had lots of fresh nectar plants but along the paved road nothing but parched grass. Winds were 25-35 gusting to 50 mph. Butterflies tended to hunder down once on a plant so we just kept shooting until we got a shot in focus! (We choose this location because it was raining around Albuquerque.)

Extremely dry, many nectar plants were dried but others green from recent rain. We walked the wash in Box Canyon. We had 2 unidentified butterflies, one a sulphur, one orange.

Also had a very mangled Polygonia sp.

Last year on May 25, we had our first springtime sighting in the northeast of Giant Swallowtail at Nellie Hill Preserve. Today we saw 4! Nellie Hill appears to be a stronghold of this species, with consistent annual sightings in August and now in May for two years in a row.

25+ MPH winds Thurs thru Sat put a damper on things but Manageable.

85 degrees and cloudy.

75-84F, E 8-13 MPH, Partly Cloudy, Cloud Cover 37 to 51%, 1000-1400, Weedy fields, Dirt road-sides, Upland Pine Woods. Wild Leek, Dragon’s Head Lily, Vervain (Verbena), Flebane, Some small patches of milkweed in the pine woods, Many other small flowers blooming.

First Monarch visit at certified butterfly garden #2490. Sunny and 81 with some breeze.

Early-season sighting on a sunny afternoon in late May. We had hoped to picnic further up Crow Creek Road but found the upper end of the narrow, rough road blocked by deep snow and had a challenge turning the car around to come back down. We ate lunch at a small pull-off with views of distant mountain goats on the slopes below snowpack, and several faded Milbert’s Tortoiseshells chased each other and sunned themselves on the road.

11:15 to 2:30 pm. Sun early, cloudy and windy later. Very warm. Path paralleling Long Meadow Road with brief stop end of Ironwood Road.

Partly sunn, breezy and humid with 86degrees early afternoon. Saw first Silver-spotted Skipper on the phlox flowers.

Temperature 70 degrees, we hiked from 9:30-1pm. We saw lots of fresh verbena, some fresh thistle, fresh scorpion tail and numerous other fresh nectar plants.

Everglades were a wash, salvaged the day at Fairchild

Hot for here (90F)! Grass skippers are picking up.

Western Meadows from 8:10 - 9:20 AM.

With Mary Collier

Made a quick stop in historic Tazewell, Georgia to study a kaleidoscope of Fiery Skippers. Photos include both male and female Fiery.

Habitat: Street-side planted flowers in a rural Georgia town.

92F, Variable 2-4 MPH, Partly Cloudy, Cloud Cover 35%, 1550-1605.

Georgia Fall Line Sandhills habitat. Identified over 10 plants in bloom, and there appeared to be many more species with flowers.

The Zebra Swallowtail and Common Buckeye were on the milkweed look-a-like Hemp Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum) in the photos.

72-90 F, Variable 2-4 MPH, Mostly Clear, Cloud Cover 10-34%, 0900-1520.

Most butterflies were seen on Mahnomen Trail.

FOY Common Sootywing.

Brown Elfin uncommon at this site and seems a late date.

With Della Wells. 10am to 1:30pm; air temperature 61-72F; moderate breeze; initially thin cloud covering but clearing later in the day.

Looking for Leanira Checkerspots, finally had a few but only in a 15 minute window,
1:15 to 1:54 PM, very local. Tailed Coppers sporadic along the trail.

The first Monarch eggs were spotted on milkweed on certified garden #2490. A very hot sticky and windy day.

With Marge Gorton

8:30 AM to 11:30 AM, mostly sunny, 75 to 82 deg. F

Wildflowers were on 1/2 mile of gravel within 1 mile of Hwy 60. 84 degrees on arrival at 11, sunny but wind increased dramatically after 12. We counted up to 100 Morman Metalmarks & stopped trying to count them! Sometimes a tiny clump of daisies would have over a dozen and 1 flower would have 5!

Cloudy, very windy, in upper 30s at dawn, low 50s in the afternoon. I thought I would not see a sigle butterfly today, though birding along the Red River was great.

sunny, 80, noon to 1 p.m.

9:30 AM- 11:00 AM, sunny, 75 to 85 deg. F

sunny but cool, 70 degrees, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.

Hiked 10:15-3:15 Temperatures 72-84. Sunny. There was alot of activity near the Bear Grass and nectar plants in the area. We had an actual count of 30 individuals.

this has been a very chilly spring in the mountains and many cloudy days. sun this morning and 57F
11AM to 12:30 PM