October 2019 Sightings

Sunny day, mid to high 70s. As usual, our late-blooming 'Hella Lacy' New England Aster is proving to be a butterfly (and moth) magnet. QM and Silver-spot were super fresh.

4.45-6pm Only in Somerset part of park

Sunny, Temperature Low 70s, 2 - 3 PM

10 AM - noon, 65-70 degrees; overcast, then patches of sun. Buckeye cat looked about to pupate.

Possibly the best year in town for Ocola Skipper (1-3 a day during the past week) and Fiery Skipper (5-15 a day). One of the best autumns for Monarch, Painted Lady and Common Buckeye around here. Many Monarchs migrating the last several days, some stopping in gardens for fuel.

1:30 to 2:00. Sunny, mid-70s. All butterflies were roadside.

Skipper counts are approximate - lots in the same area. First ocola I've seen in quite a while. Really cool seeing large numbers of monarchs.

11:00 to 1:00. Overcast to partly sunny. Temps in low 70s.

1:15 to 2:15. Went back to look for Sleepy Orange found on Sept. 29. Easily found flying in the area where the small trail opens into the upper fields, just past the Senna plants on the left. I spent an hour here, finally getting a documentary image at one of the rare times one of them landed. At one point three Sleepy Oranges were chasing each other. For directions see the Sept. 29 post.

11:30 to 12:45. Sunny; temps to upper 80s; very breezy. Most butterflies were found in the Chester Community Garden within the park.

9-12. Sunny but 45-50 degrees.

For directions to the Sleepy Oranges see Tom Halliwell's post of Sept. 29. To photograph the Sleepy Oranges it is best to visit during a cool and sunny day when this otherwise very active species is more sedentary. The temp. this afternoon was 57 under a cloudless sky.

Overcast and cool.

Checked the flower gardens a few times from 1:00 - 3:30. Cloudy and breezy with rain on the way.

in field near main parking lot

Biston betularia
I was planting some more mums and looked at my Red Twig Dogwood and saw this caterpillar

Eleven species on the tenth day of the tenth month, incl. Variegated Fritillary, Fiery Skipper, and Bronze Copper. Not bad for NW Jersey. A big thank you to Lillian Shupe for finding the copper and telling folks about it. This is an Endangered species in NJ with very few sightings in 2019.

9-12. Most of the butterflies were recorded near the north end on the Fishermen's Trail.

8-12 birding trip, butterflies in meadows with goldenrod, daisies, etc.

I headed out into my backyard to take pictures of a very dark Black Swallowtail caterpillar and noticed an odd LBJ out of the corner of my eye.

Deedee Burnside's apartment on Tithonia (Mexican Sunflower). We got pictures then it left.