February 2020 Sightings

9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. 72°, cloudy then rain. LCooper, LEvans, BHarden, DOakley.

57F

Following up on Allen Belden’s post of 2-28-2019, we found several, fast-flying buckeyes on/at porterweed along the east side of the E-111 canal - south from the main road.

Sunny,84 degrees.

9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 58°-68°; sun all day. LCooper, BHarden, DOakley. Side trip to Broward County Long Key Nature Center/Natural Area for Atala.

12-1:15 p.m.; 64°, full sun, breezy. Nectar: Spanish needles.

Start weather: Sunny, 69 degrees, wind 3mph
End weather: Sunny 69 degrees, wind 3mph
Start time: 11:30am
End time: 5:30pm
Eleven Monarch caterpillars and one egg
Seven Zebra Heliconian caterpillars and 15 eggs
Thirteen Atala caterpillars
Thirteen Polydamus eggs and one caterpillar

68 degrees, sunny, only had 1 day with temperatures as low as 32 degrees! We are concerned that some of the Sparkleberry that normally blooms in April is blooming NOW! This is what the hairstreaks & other butterflies nectar on in April.

Start weather: Sunny, 79 degrees, wind 12mph
End weather: Sunny, 77 degrees, wind 9mph
Start time: 2:30pm
End time: 4:00pm
Eight Monarch caterpillars

Start weather: Mostly sunny, 78 degrees, wind 12mph
End weather: Mostly sunny, 78 degrees, wind 11mph
Start time: 1:00pm
End time: 2:00pm

Start weather: Sunny, 75 degrees, wind 6mph
End weather: Sunny, 77 degrees, wind 6mph
Start time: 10:30am
End time: 12:30pm

Start weather: Sunny, 69 degrees, wind 7mph
End weather: Sunny, 69 degrees, wind 7mph
Start time: 9:15am
End time: 9:55am

Start weather: Mostly cloudy, 80 degrees, windy
End weather, Partly cloudy, 78 degrees, windy
Start time: 2:45pm
End time: 4:15pm
Four Gulf Fritillary caterpillars

Start weather: Sunny 81 degrees, wind 11mph
End weather: Mostly cloudy, 82 degrees, wind 10mph
Start time: 12:40pm
End time: 1:50pm

Start weather: Sunny, 75 degrees, wind 9mph with gusts to 19mph
End weather: Sunny 80 degrees, wind 9mph with gusts to 19mph
Start time: 9:30am
End tie: 11:30am

1230-230pm, Cloudly with a little sun, 76-78 degrees, saw 1 Lady but couldn’t ID as a Painted or American as it flew by

69 degrees, sunny.

57F

Start weather: Partly-mostly cloudy, 79 degrees, wind 20mph
End weather: Mostly cloudy, 84 degrees, wind 20mph
Start time: 11:15am
End time:4:15pm

Sunny, low 60s, breezy.

Spring has come to this part of the gulf coast; most of the days sightings were found on wild plums.

Sunny,up to 75 degrees, very gusty.

With John Hibbard, David Rawlinson, Sarab Seth, Bill Shepard, and Nancy Asquith. About 65 degrees by mid-afternoon which is when the butterflies became active.

We’ve had no winter here in southern Pennsylvania with temps in the mid 40’s and 50’s and some 60 degree days. It’s no surprise why one came forth. All in all, still rare and exciting.

Partly sunny, temperatures in the 70s.

With Steve Rosenthal

67,65F

12-2pm, 80 degrees, windy

1st photo from where I saw 2 at Coot’s Roost when the air temp was only 39F but the road and grasses were in warm sun, calm air. Saw next one at the Trinity Dam Vista when the temp was 42F, breezy. Continued to see them as I drove back along the Trinity River. 2nd photo is from Lowden Ranch. By this time the temp was in the 50s.

(11-32) Mostly sunny.

Walked to Snake Bight and back, (5.2 mile round trip) 9:45am-2:30pm. Beautiful & windy day.
Eastern Pygmy-Blues were super abundant

Seems like Spring…forecast is for temps in the 80’s for 4 days before a cool front. The butterflies eluded my camera. The Azure was a “Holly” Azure found under our American Holly.

Start weather: Partly cloudy, 84 degrees, wind 15mph
End weather: Mostly sunny, 84 degrees, wind 14mph
Start time: 12:45pm
End time: 3:00pm
Northern Cloudywing ovapositing on a legume

130-4pm, 82 degrees, windy, partly cloudy

230-430pm, 79 degrees, Partly Cloudy

The butterfly was enjoying the pots of violas we put out in our winter season for them and the bees.

With Leigh Williams. Nectar plants include Bay Cedar, Bidens alba, 7-year apple, Coastal Plain Yellowtops, Sea Shore Argeratum, Fogfruit, and Snow Squarestem.

Sunny, 70’s. With Leigh Williams. Nectar plants include Bidens alba, 7-year apple, Coastal Plain Yellowtops, Fogfruit, Scorpiontail, Pencil flower, Wild Sage, Bay Marigold, and Snow Squarestem.

Start weather: Partly cloudy, 75 degrees, wind 11mph
End weather: Partly cloudy, 74 degrees, wind 9mph
Start time: 2:30pm
End time: 5:10pm

(22-142) Nice morning under partly sunny skies. FL (69).

Near the T-dock on south side of park.

Start weather: Mostly cloudy, 81 degrees, 7mph wind
End weather: Cloudy, 77 degrees, calm
Start time: 1:20pm
End time: 3:30pm

(19-58). Great morning with mostly sunny skies, though breezy. FL (75).

440-510pm, 82 degrees, sunny

2-3pm, 80 degrees, mostly sunny

Sunny. 71 degrees.

Yard butterflies observed while working around the house today.

Late afternoon visit, all activity died down.

Silver-banded Hairstreaks enjoying the balloon vine areas near the “citrus field”.

Start weather: Cloudy, 68 degrees, wind 4mph
End weather: Partly cloudy, 71 degrees, wind 4mph
Start time: 10:15am
End time: 4:30pm

2-4pm, 79 degrees, sunny

Windy & sunny
12:00-2:00

Wonderful day with a lot of activity. The Amethyst Hairstreaks were a great surprise.

59F

Start weather: Started out cloudy then partly to mostly cloudy, 76 degrees, wind calm
End weather: Mostly sunny, 77 degrees, wind calm
Start time: 10:30am
End time: 4:30pm

1-130pm, 82 degrees, sunny

11-1230pm, 81 degrees, partly cloudy

First of Years: Buckeye was small, Orange Sulphur was tiny, Silvery Blue gorgeous. I was hoping to see more, wildflowers should be blooming in another week or two.

Mid 60s, increasing cloud cover & windy later in the day. I ran into Bob Gorman in the afternoon. I have included his sightings on this report.

First of the season. A 2nd seen on 2/23. The weather has been warm and clear as February frequently is in California.

Common Checkered-Skipper - new early sighting

Mostly Sunny, 78 degrees, NE wind 15-25mph. 12:30pm to 3:30pm. LWilliams and AGrimm.

Personal first butterflies of 2020 season. Sunny, warm (58-60 deg F), light wind. 14:00 - 15:20 EST. Also had 2 Polygonia species (Eastern Common/Question Mark) fly-bys.

(17-90) Mostly sunny with temps 45-62. The park doesn’t look the same since the fall 2018 hurricane, but there are still trees standing and the butterfly action was non-stop. (FL 82)

Out doing some birding and of course took notice of the butterflies and skippers! It started off a little cool but warmed quickly and the butterflies started to fly!

Start weather: Partly cloudy, 70 degrees, 11mph wind
End weather: Cloudy, 76 degrees, 11mph wind
Start time: 10:45am
End time: 1:15pm
Ronda Spink and Barbara Woodmansee

(15-113) Mostly along Cow Creek Rd. Some willows were in bloom. (FL 84)

1210-245pm, 76 degrees, sunny and breezy

Fires have ravaged this entire area

70F

Unseasonably warm 75 degrees, spring wildflowers and butterflies are out but not in abundance. Should be better in another week or two.

70F

64F

It was a nice sunny day, around 45 degrees. Saw my first butterfly of the year, an Eastern Comma

It was a continuing cold and breezy day in Central Florida but a few butterflies were able to nectar towards mid-afternoon, and we took notice as we enjoyed the wildlife on Black Point Drive, MINWR. RWarner & EPerry

Cool, breezy

11:15 am-3:15 pm. Weather: 62°-67°, NW winds 14-21 mph. Several unidentified butterflies/skippers because of wind. Nectar: Thistles, Spanish needles. Unusual to see a Brown Pelican flying towards Prairie Lakes Unit.

2:00pm - 5:00pm. 72 degrees and windy. LWilliams and AGrimm.

Partly Cloudy, windy, low 70s.

75 degrees and sunny 5 mph winds just A great day to look at flowers and Butterflies .