June 2017 Sightings

10:00am-11:45am, 90F, sunny
Common Milkweed and Dogbane not quite in bloom.

6:00 - 7:30 pm.

12:15pm-1:15pm, 90F, mostly sunny
Still no Harvesters yet this year

10:30 AM-12:20 PM. 93 degrees. Birds-foot trefoil and Crown vetch blooming, Penstemon at its peak, Dogbane and Milkweed just beginning to bloom. Euro numbers actual count. Some overlap with Alice Koster's sightings.

6:15-7:30 pm. Still warm (85F). Watered the garden this evening and butterflies came in to puddle.

Mid-morning visit, from 10am to 11am. Hot and dry.

5:15-6:00 pm.

12:45-2:15. Sun and clouds, 80*

10 AM - 1:30 PM. Mix of sun and clouds. Only a few Dogbane have started to bloom. Note that one of the Appalachian Browns has an indentation in the post-basal line on the underside of the hindwing. Little Wood Satyr tattered, Zabulon Skippers faded.

Along dirt road from bridge to intersection, both directions on Mountain Rd.
1:40-3:45. Bright overcast/hazy sun, some full sun. 75F.
No Harvester at this known location for them.

1:00 - 4:00 pm. Hundreds of Cabbage Whites in each of the fields surrounding the Community Garden & elsewhere.

1:10-2:00. Mostly sun

As previously reported, thousands of butterflies were on and along the wet roadway when we arrived in the morning as the showers were ending in the area.

We spent most of the day in various fields along Old Mine Road. Along with the amazing number of butterflies seen, we found a dozen or so 2nd instar Common Buckeye caterpillars feeding on Linaria Canadensis, a Spotted Apatelodes hiding out under a small Catalpa tree and several dozen Delicate Cycnia mating and ovipositing in a large patch of Indian Hemp.

9:30-12:30, clouds and sun, 75-80.
Tremendous emergence of American Ladies, which were counted with a clicker. Most were nectaring on Canada Thistle and Dogbane.

Sadly I found a soggy, deceased Little Wood Satyr on the patio table this morning.

I discovered an Eight-spotted Forester caterpillar last night on the porch feeding on Virginia Creeper.

10:30-12:15, sunny, 70s, breezy. FOY Banded H. and NBD for us. Nice diversity but low numbers.

10:00am-12:45pm, 80F, clear but windy

1:15pm-3:15pm, 84 F, partly cloudy, windy

Sunny, warm afternoon; temperature in mid-80s F; very windy. Birding was the primary activity. Other than abundant Cabbage Whites, butterflies were scarce or flying by at break-neck speed. Variegated Frits must be following me around this year.

80 degrees F, very windy. Milkweed and Dogbane beginning to bloom, abundant Crownvetch and Bird's-foot trefoil.

2:15-3:00, sunny
No Harvesters!

Sunny, breezy, 9:45 AM to 12:45 PM. Temperature from mid to upper 70's.

Early afternoon visit. Did an extensive search of the large marsh field near the plank bridge for Baltimore Checkerspots, but none (apparently) have emerged yet. Same for areas that hold Pearly-eyes.

9:30am=1:30pm, mostly sunny, 83F
Little Wood-Satyrs were fresh
Also Monarch caterpillar on Common Milkweed
Swarthy Skipper unusual for this site.

10:30 am - 11:30 am

Only the 3 fields by parking lots B & C that were Control Burned earlier this year. Some Milkweed and Dogbane blooming.

Extensive and lush stands of butterfly weed and common milkweed as well as dogbane

12:00–3:30. Partly cloudy; upper 70s. Most variety was right along Springtown Road between the small "pump house" and the park entrance road. The mowed trail goes by good areas of milkweed (only barely in flower), Dogbane, and Canada Thistle.

Near the parking lot by the brown building on Camp Washington Road two female azures were seemingly laying eggs on flower buds of Black Cohosh- though I could not find any newly deposited ones. The only eggs I could find had holes in them apparently having already hatched. I did not make an extensive survey however. I have no idea if these are late Appalachian Azures or Summer Azures. Most of the Azures I called "Summer" today were fresher than the egg layers (see photo). I didn't notice any size difference.

{moderator's note] Along with Dave Amadio's report of a Meadow Fritillary at White Lake, this was the first report of Meadow Fritillary in NJ this year.

Lower parts of pipeline cut have heavy vegetation now. Very little Common Milkweed, but nice amounts of Dogbane. Observations made between 8:40 & 11:15 a.m. Sunny and low to mid 70's.