Tawny-edged Skipper

Hi, Today in late afternoon I went to our County Park to check for missed butterflies. There were few to be  seen easily with the exception of Little Wood Satyr, that were literally everywhere, in good numbers. I saw fifty or more in the hour and a half that I was there. I did get some new ones for the year and here is a Tawny-edged Skipper that I think is really nice with the nectar source flower, called ' Heal All' plant. Here is today's pic, Denis

Wild Indigo Duskywing Butterfly

Here is an overlooked butterfly with its' ground coloration. Most folks think of a butterfly as being bright and colorful, like Swallowtails. The family of Duskywings are complicated and too complex for the casual person, hence overlooked and probably thought to be a moth. Here are two shots; one on the ground and the other on a leaf. The leaf certainly is easier to see/find too. Have a great day, Denis

Monarch Butterfly finally arrives here.

Hi, Although quite a few Monarchs have been seen much further north than here, few local folks have seen any nearby. It is near the normal timeframe of Monarch arrival for us, but welcomed. Late afternoon crossing a newly planted corn field the Monarch moved steadily northeastward. In spring the Monarchs seem to be on a mission to get the their destinatin quickly. Whereas in fall it is a more leisurely trip until a cold front tells them otherwise. Here are two pics of Monarchs, one on Common Milkweed and the other on Butterfly Weed. Have a great day, Denis

Eastern Tailed Blue Butterfly

Hello, The other day I had a single Eastern Tailed Blue Butterfly at my Grand-daughter's house in New Providence, PA. The butterfly flew in from a neighbor's pasture and gave me only a short while to observe before flying off again. Her are two pics from the past and have a great day. Denis

Little Wood Satyr Butterfly

Hi again, This past week I had a handful of Little Wood Satyr Butterfly's  in and around my old pasture. The pasture sits in a 'bowl-like' setting, with a few small springs having their start there. The lower part and area where there is spring flow are wet even in the dry periods of late summer. This gives the Little Wood Satyr a good home. Here we are in a dry 'spell', with little rain in the past three weeks. We are not in trouble now and due to have a frontal system move through tonight, hopefully with a good rain. Anyway, here are some years' past shots of the Little Wood Satyr Butterfly. Best to you, Denis

Camera was a Panasonic DMC-FMZ20

Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly yesterday.

Hi again, While boating with my older son on the Chesapeake Bay near North East, MD ( North East is the towns' actual name) we went ashore to explore the many rocks of volcanic origin. This exposure happens from the cliffs 'slumping' or caving in from erosion. Erosion eats out the bottom and the next layer to fall is the slip plane. Here we usually do see many Zebra Swallowtails and take them for granted. The entire Chesapeake Bay shoreline, minus cities, is usually a good place to see Zebras. Their host plant is Pawpaw, a short (25 foot max usually) tree. Here is a stunning shot of a Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly on the beach. Have a great day. Denis

Zabulon Skipper Females arrival.

Hi, Today it was warm, 79° and mostly sunny until late afternoon, when the clouds rolled in from the east or ocean. Early there were mostly Cabbage Whites and then singles of a wider variety showed up. Most moving right through as we only have Multifloria Rose and Blackberry in bloom at this time. As I walked along a partially wooded path I found a Female Zabulon Skipper sunning in an opening. I find these are more difficult to photo with contrast of bright sun and a dark subject. Here is her picture and then a male Zabulon, Denis

Red-banded Hairstreak seen today.

Hello again, Today is a coolish windy day with a stiff northerly flow of air, perfect for people day. With the temperature just hitting 70° in late afternoon there were few butterfly's flying, mostly Cabbage Whites and only solitary sightings of others. While walking with my Golden Retriever Buttercup, I had a Red-banded Hairstreak in a sunny clearing in the woods. I did not have my camera with me and attempted to take a shot with my cell phone camera to no avail. I was only two feet away from the hairstreak but the wind and shadows were not conducive to a cell phone pic. Here is a shot of a Red-banded Hairstreak on mint blossoms from 5 years ago. Mint in late summer, is always a good attractant for hairstreaks and many solitary wasps and bees that you never see any other time. Have a great day, Denis

Red Spotted Purple now numerous.

Hi, Today it seems we are blessed with many Red Spotted Purple butterflies. Why I wondered. I suppose it is a normal thing however last week I received 6-25 ton truckloads of spent mushroom soil that was spread on the nearby fields. This, the mushroom soil, is always an attractant to many different species of butterflies, especially the brushfoots. Here is a good place to check out too.  http://wisconsinbutterflies.org/butterfly

I find the Red Spotted Purple to be quite variable in coloration and never get tired of seeing them. Here is a recent photo of one on some mushroom soil. Have a great day, Denis.

Happy Mother's Day!

Today started out warmer than yesterday under a mixed sky of sun and clouds, however quite humid. As the day progressed more and more butterflies appeared keeping one on their toes. I ended the day with 4 new butterflies for the year/season 2012. Now the Red-Admiral/American Lady invasion has slowed down considerably being replaced by non  migrants. Today I had; Zabulon Skipper, Common Sootywing, Black Swallowtail and Wild Indigo Duskywing butterflies. Nice additions for the year. Here is a shot of each from past years. Happy Mother's Day, Denis

Busy Weekend, Mother's Day too.

As I started out on Saturday morning it was apparent that we would be seeing more butterflies with the warmer start that we had. Early in the morning I went boating with my older son on the Chesapeake Bay. We went to an area known as Turkey Point, that is a ten mile long peninsula in the Northermost end of the bay. The shore area can be quite productive at times, so I decided to go with him today. We saw a lot of Eastern Tiger, and Zebra Swallowtails along the waters' edge and an unknown duskywing that never was within 40 feet. After this trip, at home, I had two new butterflies for the year. These were, Least and Silver-spotted Skippers. Only one Silver-spotted, however over a dozen Least were seen today. Least Skippers are always in abundance here in the wet grassy area of my old meadow/pasture. Here is  one older picture of each as I was not able to get a new shot today. Have a great day, Denis

Pearl Crescent

Hi, Here is a butterfly that I first saw on April 13th at home. There were four of them in different areas but none could be photographed as I was mowing at the time. A short while later it started to rain and that ended any photo-op I may have had. Pearl Crescents are fairly common here and seen over a long period of the spring and well into summer. The only other butterfly that could be confused with the Pearl is the Silvery Checkerspot that is much larger. Today was cool early and changed to a much brighter late afternoon when the sun brighten the sky, however never coming through the clouds. It gave me only two butterflies; one being a Pearl Crescent and the other a Spicebush Swallowtail on a mission northwards. Here is an almost head on shot of the Pearl Crescent from today.

 And another Pearl Crescent underside/wings up shot nectoring on mint blossoms fromthe summer of 2007.  Have a great day, Denis

Olive or Juniper Hairstreak- A miss for last year.

Hi, Today, while gardening, an Olive or Juniper Hairstreak landed on some freshly spread "Mushroom Soil". And you say "what is mushroom soil"? Mushroom soil is the growing medium in which mushrooms are grown in commercially . I live in what is known as the "Mushroom Capital of the World", the Kennett Square area. Mushroom soil is mostly old rotted hay from horse track bedding and/or old mulch grade field hay/grass/weeds. It is first composted commercially and then used as a growing medium for the mushroom industry. After mushrooms have stopped growing well the soil is removed and I get some of it too. GREAT STUFF for any garden! The Juniper Hairstreak landed five feet in front of me next to a yellow garden hose. The first pix had the hose and detracted from the shot and the mushroom soil is not a very good background for this pic either. Here is a beautiful butterfly rarely seen by most folks. Best to you , Denis

Red Admiral migration

Hi, It is a warm spring day here with many Red Admiral butterflies migrating northwards. I have seen over five dozen in many different locations moving to the north. They have been seen while I was traveling on roads and crossing many open fields as well. Here is a shot of one that landed for a moment near the Susquehanna River in Cecil County, MD, just six miles below my home. Have a great day, Denis

Here is a pix of a Red Admiral from today.