February 2022 Sightings

Weather was partly cloudy, 57°-69°, 4mph winds
Surveyed from 11:00am-4:30pm

Walked gate 31

R. Spink, B. Woodmansee

79 degrees and sunny. 33 species. First time here since 30-degree night. Still plenty of butterflies. The plain-looking skipper looks like its actually a male Whirlabout. NBC is currently temporarily closed.

The Gray Hairstreak and Black Swallowtail were unexpected and difficult to photograph. Briefly saw a small or medium sulphur I could not identify.

Summary of low temperatures this season at this location:

30 Jan 2022: 23F (Lowest temperature of the season thus far.)

#Days (usually early mornings) with lows of 36F and below:

30 Nov 2021: 31F
23 Dec 2021: 33F
24 Dec 2021: 34F

04 Jan - 01 Feb 2022: 16 days with lows of 36F and below.
04 Jan - 01 Feb 2022: 08 days with lows of 32F and below.
18 Jan - 01 Feb 2022: 04 days with lows of 28F and below.

This date, 01 Feb:
Time: 1400 - 1610, Temperature: 68-67F, Wind: SE 10-14MPH, Cloud Cover: 14-22%
Habitat:
Mustard field next to swamps.
Coastal plain of inland southwest Georgia.
GPS: 31.47029591072563, -84.37643394048602
Straight-line shortest distance to Atlantic Coast: 178 miles.
Straight-line shortest distance to Gulf Coast: 98 miles.

Weather was clear/hazy clear, 64°-79°, 8-13mph wind gusts
Surveyed from 10:30am-3:00pm

Gothe Sandhill in on CR 337

R. Spink, B. Woodmansee

72 degrees and partly sunny. We only butterflied the flowers around the parking lot. 8 species plus one brown skipper we did not get a good enough view to identify it. Great fun!

Weather was mostly clear, 72°-82°, 9-10mph wind gusts
Surveyed from 10:00am-4:00pm

R. Spink, B. Woodmansee

1145am-145pm, 78-81 degrees, sunny, windy

A pair flew together prior to this individual perching in the sun. We have had about a month of dry relatively warm weather.

Mostly sunny, 68 degrees, breezy at times. I met up with Bob Gorman.

With Sarab Seth, David Rawlinson, and Tom Peterson. Pleasantly warm, mid-60’s.

Weather was clear, 52-62°, 7-8mph winds
Surveyed from 10:30-3:00pm

Drove down Salt Creek Road and walked Gate 33

R. Spink, B. Woodmansee

After a period of cool weather, today got to 72 degrees (and sunny). 22 species.

Weather was clear, 55°-68°, 4-5mph winds
Surveyed from 10:00am-4:00pm

Drove Cow Creek north to south

Saw two Monarch caterpillars at the end of the boardwalk to the Gothe Giant on Asclepias Perennis.

R. Spink, B. Woodmansee, M. Woodmansee, S. Eoff, K. Eoff

Warm 75 degrees, wildflowers are getting started and so are the Spring butterflies.

The three Buckeyes were quite small, no larger than the Mylitta Crescent they were interacting with.

Continuation of 2nd season of monitoring at this Monarch overwintering site-12th report this season.

I was joined by Reagan Montalvo and Anna Yellin, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
My previous counts of the Monarchs and Queens were “conservative estimates”.
With all three of us present, we were able to get a more accurate count of the Monarchs and Queens in the large field.
A good time was had by all.

We observed two pairs of mated-Queens. We observed courtship activity by two other pairs of Queens. Hair pencils visible in one of the photos.
The Sleepy Orange photographed was worn. The other two not photographed looked fresh.
The American Lady looked fresh.
Did not post the very poor photo of the Pearl Crescent.

This date:
Time: 1320 - 1630, Temperature: 67-68F, Wind: SW 5-7MPH, Cloud Cover: 19-13%
Habitat: Mustard field next to swamps.
Coastal plain of inland southwest Georgia.
Location:
GPS: 31.47029591072563, -84.37643394048602
Straight-line shortest distance to Atlantic Coast: 178 miles.
Straight-line shortest distance to Gulf Coast: 98 miles.

Low temperature summary for the 2021-2022 cold season at this overwintering site:
30 Nov 2021: 31F
23 Dec 2021: 33F
24 Dec 2021: 34F
04 Jan - 10 Feb 2022: 20 days at or below 36F.
04 Jan - 10 Feb 2022: 09 days at or below 32F.
18 Jan - 30 Jan 2022: 04 days at or below 28F
30 Jan 2022: 23F (Lowest temperature of the season thus far.)

Sunny, 85 degrees, winds were seriously gusty. Joined Bob Gorman & Diane Broduer.

Continuation of 2nd season of monitoring at this Monarch overwintering site-13th report this season.

The primary purpose of this trip was to attempt to determine where the Monarchs and the Queens spent the cold nights. I arrived early while it was still cool (50F) and overcast. I walked and scanned the field and surrounding trees/swamps/brush with binoculars for approximately 2 hours (0930-1130). I did not see a butterfly until approximately 1130 when the temperature reached approximately 60F. The Monarchs and Queens began flying up from previously unseen locations under and around the plants in the field (tentatively identified as ‘Raphanus raphanistrum’ in the mustard family). (The butterflies were scattered randomly around the field. They were not clustered together.)

This date:
Monarch and Queen counts are conservative estimates.
Time: 0930-1400, Temperature: 50-68F, Wind: NE-N-NW 2-4MPH, Cloud Cover: 98-87%
Habitat: Field next to swamps.
Coastal plain of inland southwest Georgia.
Location:
GPS: 31.47029591072563, -84.37643394048602
Straight-line distance to Atlantic Coast: 178 miles.
Straight-line distance to Gulf Coast: 98 miles.

Low temperature summary for the 2021-2022 cold season:
30 Nov 2021: 31F
23 Dec 2021: 33F
24 Dec 2021: 34F
04 Jan - 12 Feb 2022: 21 days at or below 36F.
04 Jan - 12 Feb 2022: 09 days at or below 32F
18 Jan - 30 Jan 2022: 04 days at or below 28F
30 Jan 2022: 23F (Lowest temperature of the season thus far.)

Small individual, clearly silvered underneath.

Weather was mostly cloudy, 55-57°, 5-8mph winds
Surveyed from 10:00am-4:30pm

Walked the Tram trail, River Boardwalk trail, Gate 14, and Gate 22 coming back at Gate 20

R. Spink and B. Woodmansee

Weather was clear, 72-75°, 8-11mph wind gusts
Surveyed from 11:00am-4:30pm
Drove Swartz Tram, Martin Grade, and Cannon Grade Roads
We ran into a super nice fellow butterflyer, RC!

R. Spink and B. Woodmansee

(13-72) Warm and very windy.

Not a lot going on here quite yet. Predominant nectar sources included two small flowers growing close to the ground. One little blue flower was in the violet family and the other flower was Southern Dewberry-Rubus trivialis. I was looking for buds and flowers on the trees, but did not see any-should be any day now though.

I ‘think’ I saw a Sleepy Orange and a Barred Yellow, but they were very brief looks from a distance.
I’m not completely convinced the male Duskywing in the photo is a Juvenal’s and not a Horace’s. But there is some gray overscaling and it is only February!
The camera-shy Question Marks flew into nearby trees and were followed and observed with butterfly binoculars.

Ran into famous butterfliers RS & BW! A good time was held by all.
Time: 1000-1600, Temperature: 64-75, Wind: SE 7-18MPH, Cloud Cover: 4-38%, A beautiful day.
Location: 30.042852447098248, -83.84252365945584

first butterflies of the season

Weather was clear, 68-69°, 8-16mph wind gusts
Surveyed from 9:30am-3:00pm
Drove Mule Wallow Spur, Henderson Road, and Old Grade Road

R. Spink and B. Woodmansee

Weather was cloudy, 75°, 8-10mph wind gusts
Surveyed from 11:00am-5:00pm

R. Spink

(10-17) Warm and partly sunny. A park-first Fulvous Hairstreak, for me anyway.

Sunny, 78 degrees, breezy winds early became calmer in the afternoon.

Mid-60’s, dry. No roadside seeps or mud puddles.

Orange Sulphurs were barely Ringlet-sized. Also of interest to me, one Margined White was nectaring on Purple Nightshade, and a Variable Checkerspot adult is quite early.

75 degrees and sunny.

First butterfly of the year.

This is earlier than usual for Pipevine Swallowtails. The first emergence of pipevines typically is in March. This year has been dry and fairly warm since January 8. My estimate of 85 is a minimum number for the 2 mile walk in riparian habitat.

Mostly sunny, 68 degrees.

Continuation of 2nd season of monitoring at this Monarch overwintering site-14th report this season at this location.

With Anna Yellin, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Dan Shulimson.

This date: 19 February: The first butterflies began flying at approximate 1046 AM. These included some Monarchs, Queens and a Common Buckeye. They were first seen flying up from the field. We did not observe any fly down from nearby trees at the start.

We briefly saw one butterfly, possibly a Pearl Crescent, that was not included in the list.
Time: 0930-1751, Temperature: 37-63F, Wind: N 9-22MPH, Cloud Cover: 6%, Severe Clear.

There have been 12 days with temperatures of 32F and below during the 2021-2022 cold period.
The coldest temperature has been 23F.

Habitat: Field Field with Jointed Charlock - Raphanus raphanistrum (Mustard Family) next to swamps.
Coastal plain of inland southwest Georgia.
Location:
GPS: 31.47029591072563, -84.37643394048602
Straight-line distance to Atlantic Coast: 178 miles.
Straight-line distance to Gulf Coast: 98 miles.

Continuation of 2nd season of monitoring at this Monarch overwintering site-15th report this season at this location.

With Anna Yellin, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Dan Shulimson.

This date, 20 February: The first Monarchs and Queens began flying at approximate 1004 AM (52F). They began flying up from the field. We did not see any fly down from the nearby trees.

Time: 0900-1230, Temperature: 45-64F, Wind: NE-E 7-13 MPH, Cloud Cover: 01% Severe Clear.

There have been 12 days with temperatures of 32F and below during the 2021-2022 cold period.
The coldest temperature has been 23F.

Habitat: Field with Jointed Charlock - Raphanus raphanistrum (Mustard Family) next to swamps.
Coastal plain of inland southwest Georgia.
Location:
GPS: 31.47029591072563, -84.37643394048602
Straight-line distance to Atlantic Coast: 178 miles.
Straight-line distance to Gulf Coast: 98 miles.

85 degrees. Mostly sunny. Very windy with gusts to 30 mph. Hard to photograph. Hard to identify butterflies sitting on flowers because of gyrations of the flowers. Dorothy found the rare White Scrub-Hairstreak. We saw another Coyote Cloudywing today about 5 miles away. 14 species. (Some others got away.)

First butterflies of the year.

Time: 1100-1500, Temperature: 72-78F, Wind: 9-17 MPH, Cloud Cover: 10-08%. 30.039293279725495, -83.85578136613829

Weather was clear, 72-77°, 6-7mph wind gusts
Surveyed from 10:15am-4:30pm
Drove Cabin Road, Barnett Creek Road and then all the way to the north entrance

R. Spink and B. Woodmansee

An over-wintering Southern Dogface was seen here this past weekend. I was trying to find and photograph it. No luck, but it is all good.

Signs of spring are everywhere here in southwest Georgia.

Time: 1330-1500, Temperature: 80-83F, Wind: SE 7-10 MPH, Cloud Cover: 13-16%.

Sunny but chilly, barely into the low 50’s.

Unseasonably warm at 85 degrees with full sun. Also saw an unidentified Duskywing. Azeleas and Carolina, Jasamine and a few other nectar sources are blooming. Conditions relatively dry.

Unseasonably hot at 85 degrees with full sun. FOS Henry’s Elfins despite dry conditions. Henry’s Elfin is the yawehus subspecies photographed on host plant Yapon Holly (ilex vomitoria) Also saw an unidentified white.

Weather has turned warmer. Signs of spring everywhere.

Time: 1400-1600, Temperature: 80-74F, Wind: SW 7-11 MPH, Cloud Cover: 76-70%, 31.470192173267712, -84.37632594966617

8:45 a.m. - 3:45 p.m. Weather: 67°-83°, winds 6-9 mph, clear to partly cloudy. Drove Williams Rd to Rd 2. Large areas on Williams Rd had been burned recently and should be spectacular for wildflowers and butterflies this fall. Mostly searching for Yucca Giant-Skippers and did find eggs and caterpillar chimneys but no adults. Nectar: thistles and blackberries. Photos are labeled. LCooper, EPerry.

Sunny 72 degrees. Spent 15 minutes in Upper Stevens Creek County Park (Santa Clara County), then across the road for 2-1/2 hours at Long Ridge (San Mateo County). Margined Whites were numerous; one was unusually dark.