Buterfly Sightings

[Steve Walter]

To follow up on my last post, Black Dash and Dion Skipper are now out, leaving only Broad-winged Skipper and Mulberry Wing et to emerge. But a real story may be the numbers. I've gotten so used to seeing bleak trends in butterfly populations in southeastern New York. But lo and behold, I'm seeing the best flight of Delaware Skippers in years, particularly at Ward Pound Ridge. Dun Skippers, always abundant at Pound Ridge in mid July, are already getting there. Common Wood-Nymphs seem to be in better numbers than in recent years. Dion Skipper, has always been uncommon in these parts, but yesterday I had about 16 at 4 sites, 2 of them new sites for the species. All of these are just a few miles outside of Connecticut, so you might want to check milkweed stands in proximity to sedge marshes.

Steve Walter
Bayside, NY

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Steve Walter 
  To: Epmanshell at aol.com ; ctleps-l at lists.yale.edu 
  Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2010 9:04 PM
  Subject: Re: Buterfly Sightings


  Hi Lenny,

  I'm seeing a different story in Westchester. At Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, Little Glassywings have been out in good number for a week, and the first Crossline, Delaware, Dun, and Northern Broken Dash popped out this weekend. All hairstreaks are out -- I've heard reports of Banded for almost two weeks. I saw Pearly-eyes and several Wood-nymphs this weekend. The satyrs have been particularly accelarated, with Appalachian Browns out since May 30.

  Steve Walter
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Epmanshell at aol.com 
    To: ctleps-l at lists.yale.edu 
    Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2010 8:02 AM
    Subject: Re: Buterfly Sightings


    On Saturday, June 19th, I visited Fresh Meadows Sanctuary in Cheshire and found 11 species of butterflies.  The list for the day is as follows:

    Cabbage White (10)
    Clouded Sulphur (1)
    Orange Sulphur (1)
    Summer Azure (1)
    Variegated Fritillary (1) (My first of the year)
    Great Spangled Fritillary (18)
    Red Admiral (2)
    Little Wood-Satyr (3)
    Silver-spotted Skipper (2)
    Least Skipper (2)
    Little Glassywing (1)

    While there are numerous available nectar sources, as you can see from the above, the number of butterflies on the wing was low.

    At least at this location, it appears that the early spring species that emerged early in 2010, often on record early dates, have largely completed their flight periods and the species that historically emerged in late June and early July have not yet emerged.

    Lenny Brown
    Wallingford
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