Finally, a Monarch

Yep, a Monarch flew through the yard today. It was not the only “first of year” species for me however. I was in a yard near Harper’s Ferry today hoping to see and photograph a Giant Swallowtail that was seen yesterday. No luck on the swallowtail but there is always some kind of consolation prize. Today it was a FOY American Snout. Among the 20 species seen there today here are a couple of shots. In the first shot, when I first saw this “frosted” skipper I was hoping for a Clouded or Dusted but it turned out to be a very fresh female Zabulon Skipper. The second shot is of one of the more common hairstreaks in our area; Gray Hairstreak. Finally, I know there are some NABA counts coming up (Loudoun County, VA tomorrow). If you participate in any this year I hope you see many, many leps.