[Ctleps-l] Banded Hairstreaks

Steve Walter swalter15 at verizon.net
Tue Jun 26 18:32:17 EDT 2018


Interesting take to parlay two individuals into a good year. But maybe that works with random yard sightings. Years ago, when there were a lot of Banded Hairstreaks around here in Queens, I would find some making their way into a yard across the street from Cunningham Park. But it always worked better to go into the woods, and especially to the milkweeds and dogbanes at the edges of woods to get numbers. There aren’t many of those plants anymore, thanks to our parks department and highway crews. I can't remember the last time I saw a hairstreak on milkweed around here. But Banded Hairstreaks are still in the woods. What I do these days to see them is go on a set route in Alley Pond Park between 4:30 and 5:30. At this time, they're drawn to sunny openings, with a couple of spots pretty reliable throughout their flight. So seeing this talk of a good year, I decided to do the route today to see how it stacked up (and I just enjoy seeing them anyway). I found 6, but I'd call that below normal (but better than the 3 I had a week ago). Two of the better spots often have 4-5 individuals. Each only had 2 today. The whirling thing they do with each other isn’t quite as impressive with only 2.

But of course, good years can be localized or regional. We saw that in 2015, when the huge year west of the Hudson River wasn't so huge east of it. But if it does look like a big year, be on the lookout for Oak Hairstreaks.

Another thing to be on the lookout for, that's worth mentioning, are burgeoning populations of plantain feeding Baltimore Checkerspots. About a decade ago, a colony took hold in Suffolk County's Caumsett State Park (Long Island historically had no breeding populations). I went there yesterday and got a count of around 240. But I stuck to trails and borders of the managed areas. No doubt there was room for many more. And then I heard that someone who monitors them for the park had a count of 950 a few days ago. Truly astonishing. While I haven't seen this on a large scale anywhere else, there are a couple of small recently established colonies on my route for the Westchester count. So check your local meadows.

Steve Walter
Bayside, NY




-----Original Message-----
From: Ctleps-l [mailto:ctleps-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Christopher Mangels
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2018 10:46 AM
To: Patrick Comins <pcomins at ctaudubon.org>
Cc: Ctleps-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: Re: [Ctleps-l] Banded Hairstreaks

Well, I usually see them at the edge of the yard rather than in the garden.  We have a lot of oaks and hickories here. Or at least did, before the storm.  Nice to see any hairstreaks here.

Chris
> On Jun 26, 2018, at 10:12 AM, Patrick Comins <pcomins at ctaudubon.org> wrote:
> 
> I've only ever had a few in the yard.
> 
> Patrick 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Jun 26, 2018, at 10:09 AM, Christopher Mangels <nyctflora at charter.net> wrote:
>> 
>> I saw what I presume to be one of these ca. 8:00 this morning, in the backyard garden. It was a hairstreak at least—Took off when I approached for a closer look.  They normally appear here around this TOY, usually in numbers.
>> 
>> Chris Mangels
>> New Fairfield
>>> On Jun 26, 2018, at 9:13 AM, Patrick Comins <pcomins at ctaudubon.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> They were two different individuals.  Perhaps it will be a good year for Hairstreaks.
>>> 
>>> Patrick 
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>> 
>>>> On Jun 26, 2018, at 9:09 AM, Patrick Comins <pcomins at ctaudubon.org> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> I had an emerging Banded Hairstreak inflating its wings on Sunday evening in the yard in Meriden.  I had a very fresh individual today; perhaps the same one. 
>>>> 
>>>> Patrick Comins, Meriden
>>>> 
>>>> Sent from my iPhone
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