February 2013 Sightings

A quick trip to Navy Wells County Park with Linda Evans. Buck and Linda Cooper
Buck found one aberrant Bartram’s Scrub-Hairstreak with very tiny white spots on both of the dorsal hindwing. Photos by Linda F. Cooper

Good start for February. Had 6 times as many butterfly species in January this year than last because weather was much better.
Lacey’s Scrub-Hairstreak discovered by Jan Dauphin. Photo by Dave Hanson

Field trip for the Miami Blue NABA chapter with 21 participants led by Buck and Linda Cooper
Although we did not find a live Orange-barred Sulphur that day a dead one was found and photographed to show the dorsal wings. Photo by Sharyn Ladner.

First of the Season butterflies

Mexican Silverspot found by Sheridan Coffey during a birding visit to the gardens - extremely rare this far north in Texas.

Another good 3 day run of butterflies: (Feb 3-5) 55 species recorded including this Pavon Emperor. Also seen and photographed by a visiting couple was a rare Gold-bordered Hairstreak. The rest of us tried later to find it but no luck. Maybe Tomorrow. Temps to be in low to mid 80’s rest of the week.

The rare Gold-bordered Hairstreak made two more appearances today. In addition to the previous days’ sightings and the Gold bordered Hairstreak, four other species were seen and photographed today.

My wife and I are fairly new to butterflies. We were lucky to get this photo after several people at the park helped us see this rarity.

Plum trees past peak. Many had no blooms. Early bloom in FL this year. S. Dogface a little early, too.