Finally, Butterflies – GRSF

Posted on April 22, 2018 by admin

After a frustrating day yesterday I went back to Green Ridge State Forest after lunch today and with temps being about four degrees warmer and the Sun breaking through strong every now and again the butterflies were out(: Tallied ten species with the highlights being FOY Olympia Marble, Zebra Swallowtail, a couple of Spring Azures, and the beautiful Silvery Blue. The flowers were not to be outdone with many species that would typically be done by this time of the year still in full bloom. Dutchman Breeches are going strong along with Spring Beauty. Some Yellow Trout Lilly’s still grace creek and stream banks. And, one of my favorites – the bi-color variety of Birdsfoot Violet.

Azures were the most plentiful with a few nicely marked and light ventral “Spring brood –  Summer Azure” C. neglecta. Others were tougher but in the lower elevations near the Potomac River near Bond’s Landing a few C. ladon (Spring Azure… at least to my eye) with their brown ventral ground color and violet-blue dorsal color in flight. C. lucia (Northern Azure) is more likely up towards the ridges where their host plant is more prevalent. Sleepy Duskywings were in most locations that I stopped mixed in with a hand full of Juvenal’s Duskywings. One Question Mark and two Eastern Commas said “hello”.

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Posted in Blues, Brush-footed, Duskywings, Remote Trip, Swallowtails, Whites and Sulphurs | 1 Comment

Slow start to the lep year in West Virginia

Posted on April 21, 2018 by admin

The weather the last couple of months has delayed vegetation around our house by two weeks. Red Bud is just coming out the last few days were it has typically peaked by this time in an average year. For March and April thus far temperatures have been below the average high about 70% of the time. The result is a very slow start to the butterfly season as most of you have seen. Barry and I went to Mineral County, WV today and did see some FOYs in the state, namely Juniper Hairstreak, Juvenal’s and Sleepy Duskywing and Falcate Orangetip. This brings my species in WV for 2018 to 9! Compare this to 22 at this time last year. I don’t however want to go right from winter into summer so here’s hoping that a more sustained Spring will finally kick in.

Posted in Duskywings, Gossamer-winged, Whites and Sulphurs, WV Trip | 1 Comment

February Butterflies

Posted on February 27, 2018 by admin

The Sun has not been out very often during the last two weeks but we did have a couple of days last week pushing 80 degrees and today it was sunny and in the mid-fifties. Over-wintering adults are starting to fly. Last week on the 21st I saw my first Mourning Cloak and today was the first Eastern Comma. Both were seen at approximately 1,500-1,600 ft along the ridge line on Third Hill Mtn within Sleepy Creek WMA in Berkeley county. A great start to hopefully a fun year.

Posted in Brush-footed | Leave a comment

Lower Rio Grande Valley – “off the charts”

Posted on November 18, 2017 by admin

This is a much belated post containing a lot of photos (a good thing). I procrastinated a lot in going through the 2,500+ photos taken during the trip to the LRGV between 11-5 and 11-16. After several years in a row where Barry Marts and I have had more poor butterfly days than good ones the law of averages caught up with us on this trip. We had 7 1/2 good days out of 12 and on the crappy days we went birding which turned out to be fruitful in its own right. It was wonderful seeing old friends again and making new ones along the way. Frequent flyers to south Texas this time of year are avid lepsters. We stay in constant contact with one another so if a good butterfly shows up somewhere you’ll get a text or a call immediately. The experiences from this trip were off the charts. So many ultra rare and beautiful creatures came to visit us. Foe this trip I was hoping to pick up 5 new butterflies and ended up with 21!

We spent our time in the following locations: National Butterfly Center, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP, Retama Village (wall near Bentsen), Santa Anna NWR, Falcon Dam SP, Estero Llano Grande SP, Resaca Del La Palma SP and Boca Chica road east of Brownsville.

I finally got a decent comparison photo of a Fiery Skipper and Whirlabout in close proximity. Also of note is a Tailed Orange “staying alive” by using a camouflaged perch with similar colored leaves. I’ve included comparative photos between Ocola and Hecebolus Skipper. Notable sightings included; Shadowed Hairstreak (This species had only been recorded in the lower 48 one time until this year where many were being seen in different locations), Orange Banner (the second or third documented sighting in the U.S.), Common Banner, Blomfild’s Beauty, Guatemalan and Gray Cracker, Red Rim, Strophius Hairstreak, Walker’s Metalmark, Falcate Skipper, Pale-spotted Leafwing, Four-spotted and Blue-eyed Sailor, Florida White, Dingy Purplewing and more…

If you’ve never been to south Texas before you owe it yourself to go sometime between  late October and Christmas. You will not be disappointed. This trip was one that will never be forgotten. Barry and I tallied 130+ species. To quote a friend of mine, “It’s ALL good…”

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Posted in Brush-footed, Butterfly ID, Gossamer-winged, Metalmarks, Milkweed Butterflies, Remote Trip, Skippers, Whites and Sulphurs | 5 Comments

American Copper – Sleepy Creek WMA

Posted on October 1, 2017 by admin

My Son Andrew was down for a short vacation and we went on a hike in Sleepy Creek WMA. The weather was perfect, a little on the cool side (70 degrees) with a light breeze. Along the hike we noted 10 species of butterflies which included an American Copper. This is the latest I’ve seen this species in West Virginia. As the season winds down during the next month I’m still hoping to find an Ocola Skipper. We’ll see.

Posted in Gossamer-winged | Leave a comment