<div dir="ltr"><div><span class="">Hi Peri:</span></div><div><span class=""> Your request triggered a memory of an email sent by Clay Taylor some 8 years ago about an irruption of Baltimores in CT. I've pasted it below. No mention of what they were feeding on...</span></div><span class=""><div><span class=""><br></span></div><div><span class="">Peary Stafford</span></div><div><span class="">Please say hello to Deane for us.</span></div><div><span class=""><br></span></div><div><span class=""><br></span></div><div><span class=""><br></span></div>From: "Clay Taylor"
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Balto-palooza, Balto-mania, Balto-extravaganza!<br></span><span class="">Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2007 08:35:02 -0400<br></span><span class="">X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express
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<div>
<div>Hi all -</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I met Diane and Janine at Machimoodus SP in East Haddam (Moodus, for us
residents...) Friday at 10am, hoping to do a little skipper spotting. It was
cloudy and a little breezy, but after a while the clouds thinned out and it
warmed up. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Baltimore Checkerspots!!!!!!!!!! LOTS of Baltimore
Checkerspots!!!!!!!!!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>How many? Hundreds. Everywhere. In the grass, on the flowers,
chasing each other around, resting on the dirt roads, mating shamelessly, some
were fresh, others worn and tattered, and there were even some caterpillers!
Amazing.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>My camera battery was low, so I resolved to take only a few photos, but I
couldn't resist all the photo-ops, so I ran it dead. Ah, well, it's only
electrons.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>There were other butterflies present as well - good opportunities to study
European Skippers, Little Glassywings, a few Delawares, but surprisingly low
skipper diversity.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I would encourage anybody that wants to see / photograph one of our most
stunning butterflies to visit the park this weekend / July 4th, and while you
are at it, pop up to the Mt. Parnassus Skating Rink (Rt. 82 and Mt. Parnassus
Road, East Haddam) to see the Bog Coppers.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Machimoodus SP list -</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Black Swallowtail - 3</div>
<div>Cabbage White - 7</div>
<div>Clouded Sulphur - 8</div>
<div>Orange Sulphur - 11</div>
<div>American Copper - 2</div>
<div>Eastern Tailed-Blue - 7</div>
<div>Great-spangled Fritillary - 6</div>
<div>Pearl Crescent - 1 very worn female</div>
<div>Baltimore Checkerspot - 300+</div>
<div>Eastern Comma - 1 Super Fresh!</div>
<div>Red Admiral - 10 all very fresh</div>
<div>American Lady - 1 Super Fresh with the bluish sheen to the wingtips</div>
<div>Monarch - 1 plus egg on milkweed</div>
<div>Southern Cloudywing - 1 my FOTY</div>
<div>European Skipper - 50</div>
<div>Little Glassywing - 10</div>
<div>Delaware - 3</div>
<div> </div>
<div>and we never even went near the woods, for satyrs, nymphs, etc.!</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>On a habitat note, there are some amazing stands of milkweed that have
grown up in the grassy fields just apst the two ponds that will soon be
Hairstreak Heaven! Now, I am sure that they were not there last year - is it
possible to grow full-sized plants in just one season? They will be covered
in butterflies very soon!!!!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I want to resurrect the East Haddam Butterfly Count next Saturday, July 7th
- see my follow-up posting later today.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Clay Taylor<br>Moodus, CT<br><a href="mailto:ctaylor@att.net">ctaylor@att.net</a></div></div></div>