Fw: East Haddam, CT Summer Butterfly Count, 7/04

[Clay Taylor]

Hi All -

    The weather was pretty poor for the East Haddam, CT Summer Butterfly Count on July 4th, but I had such an outstanding group of volunteers show up at Haddam Meadows State Park that we decided to soldier on, anyway.   The skies were overcast for most of the day, early morning showers kept the vegetation wet, and the butterflies were reluctant to show themselves.  Afternoon conditions improved, with glimpses of sunshine, but choice locations had already been covered, with others yet to visit.   Hey, they can't all be sunny and calm days, right?

    Anyway, by the end of the day, 42 species (ties 2nd highest species total) and 1278 individuals (second highest ever) were seen.   No new species were added to the list.  There have been 13 previous counts with good data and competent participant skills (I have omitted a few years when we were pretty shaky)

Key to this listing:
species name (# of years species has been recorded) - 2001 total - notes of interest [current / old record high]

Black Swallowtail (10) - 1 
E. Tiger Swallowtail (13) - 15
Spicebush Swallowtail(11) - 11 - second highest total [12]
Cabbage White(12) - 13 low
Clouded Sulphur(12) - 53 
Orange Sulphur (12) - 41 
American Copper (11) - 77 
Bog Copper (12) - 75 - third highest [238]
Coral Hairstreak (9) - 10 - New High
Edward's H. (6) - 10 - New High
Banded H. (4) - 3 
Striped H. (7) - 9 - New High
Eastern Tailed-Blue (13) - 57 
Summer Azure (7) - 2 
Variegated Fritillary (4) - 1 
Great-Spangled F. (13) - 198 - New High [109]
Meadow F. (4) - 7  -New High
Pearl Crescent (11) - 6
Baltimore Checkerspot (5) - 1
Question Mark (6) - 6 - New High
Eastern Comma (6) - 2
American Lady (12) - 19 - second highest [20]
Red Admiral (12) - 42 - New High [23]
Red-spotted Purple (5) - 4
Northern Pearly-Eye (3) - 1
Appalachian Brown (11) - 19 - New High [10]
Little Wood Satyr (12) - 157 - New HIGH [44!]
Common Wood-Nymph (5) - 168 - New HIGH [31!]
Monarch (12) - 3 - LOW
Silver-Spotted Skipper (13) - 33
Hoary Edge (7) - 5
Southern Cloudywing (8) - 20
Least Skipper (10) - 29 - third highest [39]
European Sk. (11) - 5
Peck's Sk. (6) - 2
Crossline Sk. (8) - 6 - New High
Northern Broken-Dash (7) - 8
Little Glassywing (11) - 47 - New High [33]
Delaware Sk. (10) - 90 - New High [61]
Mulberry Wing (5) - 1
Black Dash (4) - 2
Dun Skipper (9) - 18

    As you can see, the woodland species were pretty good (especially Satyr and Wood-Nymph), skippers were decent, and late-lingering species were not easy.   Notable misses were Mourning Cloak (seen the day before and the day after), Viceroy, and Long Dash.

Can't wait for '02!

Clay Taylor
Moodus, CT
ctaylor at worldnet.att.net

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