Recent sightings

This is the only butterfly I saw today, and I was in most of the accessible good habitat.

To readers and all those submitting sightings: Sharon & Wade Wander will be filling in for Jim Springer while he is enjoying scads of tropical butterflies in Ecuador.

Clouds and sun, upper 60s

A quick afternoon stroll with ZuZu along the trails through the meadows at the north end. In NW Jersey, butterfly diversity quickly declines by late September. No more 15+ species days until next May.

2:10-3:30 mostly sunny and mild. Picking out some sunflowers and I was surprised by the Common Checkered-Skippers chasing.

Mostly sunny and warm, near the Hawk watch. 12:00 to 1:00

more fields cut and Purple Loosetrife eradication signs

84 and sunny, 12:00 to 2:30

1:40-3:10 PM; sun; 80F

did segments of this park and did not cover the Cold Soil parking lot which might have different vegetation if not also mowed. a few new butterflies from the previous day.

late afternoon, sunny

2:40 pm to 4:20 pm. Sunny, low 80s, breezy. Main nectar sources were bush-clover, goldenrod and knapweed.

Sunny, warm, and humid

Short, mid-afternoon, walk along paths through fields.

Check out the size difference between the two Viceroys. The small male was seen first. When the second arrived we thought it was a Monarch just based on its very large size.
Both Question Marks were extremely fresh and the first we have seen in weeks. The female Black Swallowtail was also freshly emerged. Common Buckeyes and Variegated Frits have been regular visitors this year to NW Jersey but usually just 1 or 2 per site.

Area around Trailside Nature Center, Scout Camp, etc. Few if any nectar sources.

photo attached.

Have also spotted many Tiger Swallowtails

Saw a Monarch Butterfly in my yard for the first time on our Butterfly Bush

This morning we saw what appears to be a red spotted purple basking on a butterfly bush.

dryness not conducive to anything - surface water mostly gone, lots of golden rod, a few asters, wild sunflower. ALL monarchs on thistle. some fields mowed to the ground, one as per a sign to eliminate purple loosestrife. No partridge peas which were good for sulphurs in other years.

2-3:30 PM, sunny,75F.