August 2018 Sightings

10:00, mostly cloudy warm and very humid. By this time of year we usually have many Red-banded Hairstreaks on our Mountain Mint. So far this year have not seen even one.

1:40 - 2:00, partly cloudy, hot and very humid. This has been a reliable spot for Common Buckeye, particularly last year. None found however.

11:30 to 2:00. Varying from sunny to overcast with a few rain events. Humid with temps in low 80s.

12:30-2:00pm. Hiked out to the Boondocks to look at the Swamp Milkweed, Buttonbush, and Joe Pye out there. Fewer butterflies than I expected, but the area looks promising. A few unided quick flybys and one super drab unided skipper.

Leaderless Walks - 9 participants
9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Partly cloudy

11:15-12:15. Sun and clouds. Covered Monarda fields left of main parking lot. Gnats were awful!

Butterfly numbers in my garden continue to be very, very low. This is only the second Eastern Tiger ST I've seen here this summer. Even cabbage white numbers are much lower than normal.

I was happy to see so many monarchs - most I've seen in one small area in years.

Observations spread throughout the afternoon. Mostly from 1-3:30pm. One of my largest butterflying days at Lord Stirling Park. We covered the southern and western meadows in the property. Great numbers of skippers and a good showing of hairstreaks. My first White M Hairstreak and Swarthy Skipper for the park. First day in a long time without a Satyr.

11am-2pm. After yesterday's showing of skippers we decided to do a dedicated skipper survey primarily targeting Least and Peck's. Exact count of those species. Peck's mostly using a variety of purple flowers (thistle, heal-all, etc). Good numbers of Tawny-edged and Eastern Tailed-Blue as well. Tawny-edged count is more of an educated estimate. Other species were incidental sightings mostly.

18 participants led by Tom Halliwell. 9:40 - 11:35, high 80’s and humid. 1 black form Tiger Swallowtail & 1 mated pair of Monarchs. 4 Giant Swallowtail cats also observed.

10 - 11:30 AM
Very hot & humid

10:10-12:10 pm, 3 miles
Sunny and high 80s
did not know canabalistic nature of SS

12:50-2:00pm, 1/3 mile
sunny and humid….
oregano and forget me nots were productive
one black morph Eastern Tiger

Obs. incl. sulphurs.

hot, mid 90s, on trumpet flower leaves

hot- mid 90s, 1:15 pm
butterflies on zinnias

My first tawny-edged skipper sightings today.

Observations from 12:15pm-1:45pm. Hot and sunny the whole time. Worked the two meadows off Goodale Road and the wooded path along the edge. The Red-spotted Admiral was an intergrade between Red-spotted Purple and White Admiral.

Observations with a group from 10:10am-11:40am. Cloudy in the beginning, but became sunny and hot fast. Mosquitoes were pretty bad. Walked the meadows near the main parking lot.

2:40-4:00. Sunny, humid, mid-80s. The Meadow Frit was extremely worn.

9:45-10:45. Sunny, humid, 75-80°. Fields near Goodale Road entrance.

A quick walk from 2-3pm. Brutally hot and humid. Did the western meadows, but at a faster pace due to time constraints. One sulphur spp went unided.

Aphrodite third ever in yard, first since 09. Basal spots, narrow cream band with follow spots.
Noon to 4 pm. on and off. Mostly sunny, 80's.

1:15pm-4:40pm, mostly sunny, humid, 89F, main paths mowed, paths mostly dry but flooded near the river

11:30 to 2:00. Mostly sunny, hot and humid. Variegated and Red-banded were nice; surprisingly no Great Spangled.

11:00-11:30, sunny, 80-83°. Parking lots on CR 612, Fredon-Springdale Road, and RIdge Road.

Leaderless Walks - 6 participants. From 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM

No Aphro today, but a bit more variety.
Noon to 5pm on and off. Sunny to partly cloudy, 80's

1:15-2:45 PM. Mostly sunny, ca. 90 degrees F. Mountain-mint still blooming, goldenrods just getting started. Few thistle this year. Much Knapweed along River Road but nothing was nectaring on it.