June 2021 Sightings

10:45 to 4 pm. Filtered sun, low 70's. I entered the 8 azures I saw as Summer Azures. The two that landed were fresh. All seemed fairly large. Not sure if there is Black Cohosh in the area. If so, possibly Appalachian Azures? Photo of one included. Also photos of a N. Cloudywing, two different S. Cloudywings, , a duskywing sp., Great Spangled Frit, Pepper and Salt Skipper & Hobomok Skipper.

Outdoor picnic w/ friends, about 4:30 PM

Scattered observations in the afternoon while gardening.

We stopped and got out of the car briefly to check the stream at the bend in the road before Van Etten Road where we saw one large Azure on the damp soil on the side of the road on the bridge. It was a difficult butterfly to photograph in difficult location on a blind curve. I managed to get a few photos in the road and one hanging over the guardrail when it landed for a few seconds to bask in the sunlight. I did not see Black Cohosh on the side of the road from either side of the bridge. However, I didn't look with binoculars or walk the edge of the road in either direction to look. Moths and insects were plentiful feeding and nectaring after the heavy rains. We also made 3 rescue stops on our ride. A Garter Snake, Wood Turtle and a Box Turtle were safely transported to the other side of the road.

10:45-11:50
Cool (low 60s) and overcast at the start with no action. Butterfly activity picked up late in our visit. The Wide-leaved Ladies Tresses orchid is very rare, and the pitcher plants (very local in north Jersey wetlands) appear to be spreading.

11;00 to 11:30

Walked the pipeline cut for about 2 hours, mid-morning time.

From 11 - 12. Overcast and humid.
American Lady caterpillars on pussytoes.

2:45-4:00. Overcast, low 70s. The Red-spotted Purple, diminutive and deceased, was the only butterfly I could get a picture of. Many millipedes on the march.

late in the day and cloudy; not much in bloom yet except clover, multiflora rose and some honeysuckle; commas fighting and not cooperative for a picture

1) AM - 1:30 PM. High cloud, some sun, 70-75 F. Snipe flies abundant, also ticks. And half a dozen unidentified grass-skippres.

Saw this guy just off the trail, it was raining quite hard that afternoon.

hot and sunny; all butterflies fresh; zabs fighting and maybe uubdercounted

Black Swallowtail FOY. Noonish, bright, sunny, and HOT! Saw flying around yard.

1:00-1:15. Quick drive-through on our way home. Most fields badly invaded by Mugwort.

5:00-5:45. Sunny, breezy, upper 80s. All butterflies , except the Azures, were actively nectaring on clover.

3:30-4:00, sunny, 90 degrees.

2:30-4:45. Sunny, low 90s. Also two Anglewings.

10:00-12:15, sunny, 70s. Walked the power line. Hoped for Pepper and Salt Skipper but no luck. Not many geraniums in flower.

8:30- 10:00 on a warm sunny morning.

10:45 AM - noon, sunny, 90 degrees. Abundant Rubus blooming but nothing seems to use it. Peck's on a small patch of Canada thistle.

6:00-9:30, sunny, 70s. Incidental observations while doing a bird survey. First butterfly (a flying Wood Satyr) seen at 6:28.

After spending some hours with Wade and Sharon and Voorhees, I made a last stop at Sourlands. Although milkweed and dogbane are waiting in the wings, currently there is almost no nectar present and way less bflys than there use to be here in years past. I spotted a hackberry emperor on the road and as I approached, it came at me. It would buzz and disappear and I soon realized it was landing on my back. After a minute, it invited two others to join it, all of which continually landed on me (too close for my lens). At one point I had one on my binoculars, one on my camera, and one on my knee.

8:20-11 am . yarrow, vetch and clover in bloom… buds on dogbane; milkweed 1% in bloom. zabs all male; missed possible least skippers and something mid-sized due to joggers and cyclists.

Sunny and hot with slight breeze 2:05-3:55. Large variety of wildflowers in bloom. First monarchs of the year for me.

Obs. made from 8 till 10:30 a.m. Most butterflies seen north of the Poxono boat launch area.

9:30 AM - noon; sunny; 85-90 F. Crown Vetch blooming, much dogbane and Birdfoot trefoil but these just getting started. Female ETB ovipositing on White Clover. Crescents very worn and faded. And half a dozen unidentified small orange grass-skippers, likely Peck's or Euro.

Obs. made from 12:55 to around 2:15. Still sunny & hot, but a line of storms rolled through close to 2:30. Spicebush ST observed between Blue Mtn & Crater lake.

Obs. made from 3:05 to 4:15. Light showers upon arrival giving way to cloudy skies with filtered sun. Also a brief encounter with a Duskywing.