N. Silvery Blue (!) Goshen, CT...

[Tom Fiore]

Monday, June 20, 2005

On initiative from Steve Walter of Bayside, NY (and with directions 
kindly provided by Andy Brand), Kristine Wallstrom, Steve Walter & I  
(T.F.) visited the Goshen Wildlife Management Area in Goshen, 
Litchfield County today for several hours. We were especially seeking 
Bronze Copper, and were happy to see about a half-dozen of those 
altogether here, between the three of us spread around the large area 
at the site. After a nice walk around the fields & ponds, Bronze 
Coppers & other species seen, we were almost ready to pack up & move 
on...  I spotted a butterfly in flight I thought might be a good one - 
pretty clearly a blue, it had a slightly grayish-brown cast to the 
underwings in flight, & a certain style of flight (to my eyes, anyway) 
& I said to my two field companions, "check that - & don't let it get 
away". I had a net with me - using it only for odonate catch-&-release 
on tough ID's. My companions both had digi-cams, & the butterfly 
perched cooperatively several times: Female NORTHERN SILVERY BLUE 
(Glaucophsyche lygdamus couperi) - in good condition!   We watched (& 
Kristine& Steve photographed) for about 10 or 15 minutes, before we let 
it get out-of-view.  Hopefully, a gravid female, ready to lay on the 
Vicia (Vetch) spp. present there within the very extensive open fields 
of the management area. Time will tell... this species has been 
recorded once recently in Connecticut (according to David Wagner, a 
male was found by Ed Force - in Litchfield Co. -  a few years ago), 
with sightings in Massachusetts continuing unabated in recent years.

(Sunday, our group of 3 tried Great Mt. Forest (after obtaining a 
required permit in advance from S. Childs) in Norfolk, and saw some 
nice species there.)

Goshen W.M.A., Litchfield County
  - MONDAY, June 20, 2005
~ 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Sun & clouds, 60's-70's F., n.-w. breeze.

Black Swallowtail (1)
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (3)
Cabbage White (few)
Orange Sulphur (5+)
Clouded Sulphur (2)
BRONZE COPPER (6)
Summer Azure (2)
SILVERY BLUE (1 - Northern form; female - STATE RECORD, photographed)
Great Spangled Fritillary (2)
Pearl Crescent (10+)
Mourning Cloak (1) (worn)
Red Admiral (1)
American Lady (1)
Red-spotted Purple (2)
Viceroy (1)
Little Wood-Satyr (few)
Common Ringlet (many)
Monarch (2 females ovipositing on Common Milkweed)
Dreamy Duskywing (1 female)
Least Skipper (many)
European Skipper (many)
Peck's Skipper (2)
Tawny-edged Skipper (5+)
Long Dash (many)
Hobomok Skipper (few)

-------------------------------
Sunday, June 19, 2005
9:45 a.m. - 4 p.m. at Great Mt. Forest;
4:30-6 p.m. at Robbins Swamp WMA

Great Mt. Forest & Robbins Swamp WMA,
Norfolk & Canaan, Litchfield Co., CT

Mostly cloudy until mid-p.m.; 50's-60's F.

Black Swallowtail
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Cabbage White
Orange Sulphur
Harvester (3, Great Mt. Forest)
Summer Azure
Atlantis Fritillary (1, Great Mt. Forest - KW only)
Meadow Fritillary (1, Great Mt. Forest)
Pearl Crescent
Baltimore Checkerspot (last-instar larvae, Robbins Swamp)
Mourning Cloak
Milbert's Tortoiseshell (2, fresh, Robbins Swamp WMA)
Red-spotted Purple
White Admiral (1, Great Mt. Forest)
Viceroy
Little Wood-Satyr
Common Ringlet
Silver-spotted Skipper
Least Skipper
European Skipper
Tawny-edged Skipper
Long Dash
Hobomok Skipper
Pepper-and-salt Skipper (1, Great Mt. Forest)

THANKS to Andy Brand, David Wagner, & other Connecticut lepidopterists 
for advice & directions.
And many thanks, to friends Steve Walter & Kristine Wallstrom for some 
very good days in the field.
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