Edwards’ Hairstreak

Posted on June 24, 2015 by admin

Did a quick trip to Frederick county, MD  during an extended lunch today and located 5 Edwards’ Hairstreaks zooming between various stands of Scrub Oak. Temps were around 70 with a plesant breeze and low humidity.

Edwards' Hairstreak

Posted in Gossamer-winged, Remote Trip | Leave a comment

Diana Fritillary, Pink-edged Sulphur

Posted on June 24, 2015 by admin

During the last week I helped lead a birding tour of West Virginia. Over 5 days we covered the state starting in Harper’s Ferry ending in the New River Gorge area of Fayette county. Birding highlights were 28 species of warblers, Red-headed Woodpecker, Red Crossbill, Henslow’s Sparrow and Olive-sided Flycatcher. Incidental butterfly observations during the trip totaled 26 species with the lep highlights being Baltimore Checkerspot, Pink-edged Sulphur and my first Diana Fritillaries in West Virginia. It was a great trip overall. Rains from the remnants of Tropical Storm Bill occured Saturday night. Otherwise, we dodged scattered thunderstorms almost every day. Temperatures highs ranged from between 73 and 91 degrees. The aggregate trip list is below:

6-18 thru 6-22 - WV

Silver-spotted Skipper
Wild Indigo Duskywing
European Skipper
Long Dash
Zebra Swallowtail
Appalachian Tiger Swallow
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Spicebush Swallowtail
Cabbage White
Clouded Sulphur
Orange Sulphur
Pink-edged Sulphur
Banded Hairstreak
Gray Hairstreak
Eastern Tailed-Blue
Summer Azure
Diana Fritillary
Great Spangled Fritillary
Atlantis Fritillary
Meadow Fritillary
Hackberry Emperor
Pearl Crescent
Baltimore Checkerspot
Eastern Comma
Mourning Cloak
Little Wood-Satyr
Posted in Blues, Brush-footed, Duskywings, Gossamer-winged, Milkweed Butterflies, Satyrs, Skippers, Swallowtails, Whites and Sulphurs, WV Trip | Leave a comment

Regal Fritillary Butterfly Tours

Posted on June 23, 2015 by admin

The dates for 2015 Fort Indiantown Gap (FIG) Regal Fritillary Butterfly and Grassland Tours are:

July 3 (Friday),
July 4 (Saturday),
July 10 (Friday),
and July 11 (Saturday).

Make sure that you have the information for THIS YEAR (2015) as press releases and web postings from previous years are still floating around the Internet. Up-to-date information and related materials can be found on our website: Featured Topics – Regal Fritillary Butterflies at Fort Indiantown Gap

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Coral Hairstreak – Cool Spring

Posted on June 15, 2015 by admin

Saw my first of year Coral Hairstreak this afternoon while taking Shadow for a walk in his favorite location – Cool Spring nature trails in southern Jefferson county. This stunning butterfly always excites. I present this dirrerent perspective on a fresh individual where you can see the orange leading edge on the basal portion of the forewings.

Coral Hairstreak

Posted in Gossamer-winged | Leave a comment

Green Ridge State Forest – MD

Posted on June 14, 2015 by admin

Barry Marts and I spent time looking for hairstreaks in Allegany county Maryland yesterday. We found 15 Banded Hairstreaks but that was all. We also ran into Annette Allor, an avid lepster who has amassed a wonderful collection of butterfly images on her Maryland Butterflies web site: http://www.marylandbutterflies.com

We found 17 species and took a break between thunderstorms. It was very warm and humid. Highlights for me were FOY Banded Hairstreak, Question Mark, Silvery Checkerspot, Tawny Emperor and Northern Broken-Dash.

6-14 Allegany county, MD

7   Silver-spotted Skipper
13  Hoary Edge
1   Crossline Skipper
1   Northern Broken-Dash
1   Little Glassywing
3   Zebra Swallowtial
1   Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
14  Banded Hairstreak
5   Eastern Tailed-Blue
10  Great Spangled Fritillary
11  Red-spotted Purple
6   Hackberry Emperor
2   Tawny Emperor
2   Silvery Checkerspot
2   Pearl Crescent
1   Question Mark
3   American Lady

Hoary Edge
Great Spangled Fritillary

Posted in Brush-footed, Gossamer-winged, Remote Trip, Skippers, Swallowtails | Leave a comment