April 2021 Sightings

First butterflies of the year for me on easter!

11:30 AM- 1:30 PM. About 60F. From end of White Bridge Rd. VERY muddy. Photos 1 & 2 are of same individual, lightly marked compared to usual azures at this location, in photo 2 taking nutrients from a bird dropping. Butterfly in Photo 3 dead, floating in a puddle. Individual in photo 5 nectaring on Spicebush.

1:30-4:15 PM. Sunny and breezy, in the low seventies. Lots of Cabbage Whites, some were nectaring on Purple Dead-nettle. Chased hairstreak all over a field before finally getting a photo with my phone.

[moderator]: Nice work not giving up on the hairstreak. Sounds like it didn't want its picture taken but you persevered.

Sunny and breezy mid 60's from 2:20 -3:40. Almost the exact location where I saw my first Mourning Cloak last year on April 6. I raised my phone to video them floating overhead and both landed on my hand within a few minutes of each other! They moved up and down the sand trail perching on the dried sumac berries to bask.

3:00-3:30
Mid 60s with strong NW winds @15 mph
Sky cloudless

1:00-3:00, upper 60’s and sunny
Spring beauties, dutchman’s breeches, spicebush and, unfortunately, lesser celandine coming into bloom

10 AM - 1 PM. About 70F.

11:00-12:00

Sunny and high-60's F. Trail still muddy. Most azures moving rapidly. Seemed to be attracted to the abundant blooming spicebush but only one actually stopped to nectar.

12:30-2:00
Falcate Orangetip 2 male 2 Female

No "sulphury" sulphurs seen. One white female suphur, larger than Cabbage Whites and with broad black wing edges, did provide a good look as it flew close.

3:15 to 4:00.

10:00 to 1:00. Partly sunny, temps ca. 60°.

nothing new- cherry trees in bloom, spring ephemerals (blood root, cut tooth, trout lilies)

I arrived around 3:30 pm on a sunny, warm (70º afternoon). No sooner had I stepped out of the car than a Falcate orangetip butterfly did a fly-by. There were no significant nectar sources, so all sightings were of moving insects, apart from a mating pair of Cabbage whites that briefly landed before flying off before I could get a photo.

2:15-4:30. Sunny, in the low seventies. Lots and lots of Cabbage Whites and that was it.

1:30-3:15, sunny, low 60s. Southern half of the Summit Trail. Not a lot of activity considering the beautiful day. 2 male orangetips, 1 unknown. Great display of Dutchman’s Breeches, nice Cutleaf Toothwort, Early Saxifrage.

Male Black Swallowtail found on top of ridge while birding 12 noon.
Cabbage Whites throughout the park.

10:15-11:00, sunny, about 60º.

11:00-12:00, mostly cloudy, high 50s. A couple of brief peeks of sun. Lots of Trailing Arbutus in bloom - it sat still but the Brown Elfin didn't.

near this location, this park is in 3 different counties, fyi
10:30-12, flowers blooming but no butterfly variety

Exploring the state of previously good butterfly sites within the park , much of the undergrowth has been decimated by deer browsing, trails on southern side of park heavily used by trail bikers 59°F, cloudy

Azures appeared to be females and where found on American Holly.

Partly to mostly Cloudy temp 60s

11:30 to 12:30. Mostly cloudy. Cool & breezy.

Seen along Ridge. A short distance from where the Black Swallowtail was last week.

11:00-12:00, sun and clouds, about 60 degrees. Pretty slow! There is an Osprey nest on the cell tower beyond the southern end of the lake.