Phoebis sennae migration underway

[Rob Hilton]

Hello Harry, and Lepslisters, 

Yesterday on the MDOsprey birds list was a report of someone "just back" as
of yesterday (ie Aug. 24) from the Outer Banks of North Carolina reporting
a "huge movement" of Phoebis sennae during the preceding two weeks.  He
counted an average (no dates given) of 10-12 Cloudless Sulphurs an hour
moving north along the beach, and they were all over everywhere in Avon.
He also found two southern species: several Twin-spot Skippers at the Bodie
Island Light and several Phaon Cresents in a vacant lot in Avon.  In
addition, he noted "Giant Swallowtails and Zarucco Duskywings, both common
in Avon, lots of Swarthy Skippers, and few Palamedes Swallowtails".

Also from the same list, an observer on Hart-Miller Island, a spoil island
in the Chesapeake Bay east of Baltimore, came a report from Aug. 22 of 17
Cloudless Sulphurs and 1 Little Sulphur.  

Rob HIlton

At 09:36 PM 8/24/98 EDT, Pavulaan at aol.com wrote:

snip

>Many of these migrants clearly orginated in the Chesapeake Bay region, but
the
>big question is, did the main migration originate in eastern North Carolina?
>Back in early August, I observed virtually thousands of P. sennae in eastern
>North Carolina, along my travel route from the Morehead City area north to
>Virginia.  Based on my statistical sample, the actual population easily could
>have been in the millions.  Beside two localized movements nearer the coast,
>most of these showed no directional movement. 
>
>The ultimate question is: how far north do these critters actually go?  
>
>C' mon folks, does ANYONE have any field reports to post on Leps-L?  
>
>Harry Pavulaan
>Herndon, VA.