Mourning Cloak – First of year!

Posted on March 22, 2014 by admin

What do you get when 67% of the days over the last three months have been below normal (including three nights below zero) and have had 61 inches of snow? You get the amazing first of year, tattered Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) which has survived those conditions and was found basking on the road at Sleepy Creek WMA in Berkeley county on Saturday the 22nd. This was the warmest day of the season so far and a harbinger of things to come. We’ve had enough already, so after the snow predicted for the 25th let’s commence with Spring please?
Mourning Cloak - Nymphalis antiopa

Posted in Brush-footed | 3 Comments

WV 2014 Wish List

Posted on March 4, 2014 by admin

OK, it was zero degrees this morning! We’ve had 3 days below zero and 50+ inches of snow so far this season. I’m ready for spring and the promise of new things to see. Here is my wish list of butterflies to find in WV for 2014:

Giant Swallowtail
Checkered White
Olympia Marble
Little Yellow
Edwards’ Hairstreak
Eastern Pine Elfin
Appalachian Azure
Silvery Blue
Diana Fritillary
Baltimore Checkerspot
Gray Comma
Carolina Satyr
Southern Cloudywing
Northern Cloudywing
Dreamy Duskywing
Grizzled Skipper
Leonard’s Skipper
Cobweb Skipper

If you have seen any of these in the last couple of years please feel free to “share the wealth”. Here’s wishing you the best of butterflies this year!

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Lower Rio Grande Valley – wow!

Posted on November 22, 2013 by admin

I recently went to the Lower Rio Grande Valley on a birding trip. With this region being the best in the lower 48 for butterfly diversity (over 325 species recorded) I took time to look for some. Mostly everything I saw was a lifer (except for Orange Sulphur). I do believe a butterfly only trip will be in the works next year. Most of the photos were taken at Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco. Species shown below are: Carolina Satyr (Hermeuptychia sosybius), Sickle-winged Skipper (Eantis tamenund), White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae), Common Mestra (Mestra amymone), White (or Common) Checkered-Skipper (While indistinguishable in the field, White Checkered-Skipper is the more common of the two), Cassius Blue (Leptotes cassius), Vesta Crescent (Phyciodes vesta), Large Orange Sulphur (Phoebis agarithe), Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae), Queen (Danaus gilippus), Fatal Metalmark (Calephelis nemesis), Brown Longtail (Urbanus procne), Brazilian Skipper (Calpodes ethlius), Mexican Bluewing (Myscelia ethusa), Laviana White-Skipper (Heliopetes laviana), Long-tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus), Mazans Scallopwing (Staphylus mazans), Red-bordered Metalmark (Caria ino), Great Southern White (Ascia monuste), Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes), White Angled-Sulphur (Anteos clorinde).

Click on images to see a larger version
Carolina Satyr Sickle-winged Skipper
White Peacock Common Mestra
White (or Common) Checkered-Skipper Cassius Blue
Vesta Crescent Large Orange Sulphur
Gulf Fritillary Gulf Fritillary
Queen Fatal Metalmark
Brown Longtail Brazilian Skipper
Mexican Bluewing Mexican Bluewing
Lavianna Skipper Lavianna Skipper
Red-bordered Metalmark Mazans Scallopwing
Long-tailed Skipper Long-tailed Skipper
Great Southern White Giant Swallowtail
White Angled-Sulphur White Angled-Sulphur
Posted in Blues, Brush-footed, Gossamer-winged, Metalmarks, Milkweed Butterflies, Remote Trip, Satyrs, Skippers, Swallowtails, Whites and Sulphurs | Leave a comment

Fiery Skipper – Cape May, NJ

Posted on October 21, 2013 by admin

I was in the Cape May area for a long weekend of birding and along the way stopped by any available nectar sites. I stayed with some friends in a rental on Pearl Ave in Cape May Point. Right around the corner were a couple of homes with butterfly gardens. In fact, Monarch tagging takes place at one of these homes. Temps during the afternoon reached the mid 60’s. During one of the visits I found a female Sachem basking on one of the many beautiful flowers along the road. Then I noticed a larger skipper nearby. Upon inspection this turned out to be a Fiery Skipper (lifer); a late season migrant into WV on occasion but more common along the coast. I also obtained my first photos of a Cloudless Sulphur at Cape May Point State Park. Other species seen included: Monarch, Painted Lady, Orange and Cloudless Sulphur, Cabbage White and Red Admiral.Hylephila phyleus - Fiery SkipperPhoebis sennae - Cloudless Sulphur

Posted in Brush-footed, Milkweed Butterflies, Remote Trip, Skippers, Whites and Sulphurs | Leave a comment

Monarchs on the decline…

Posted on September 21, 2013 by admin

I saw my first Cloudless Sulphurs (3) yesterday while counting at the Snicker’s Gap Hawk Watch in Loudoun County, VA.

I’ve also seen a number of Monarchs there during the last few weeks but the numbers are down compared to the last few seasons. Patricia Sutton has an article that I think you’ll find an interesting read on the subject.
Where are the Monarchs

Posted in Brush-footed | 1 Comment