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| List: Carolina-Leps Date: Sat, 9 Aug 2025 12:53:13 -0400 From: Harry LeGrand (via carolinaleps Mailing List) <carolinaleps...> Subject: Butterflies (lots!) south of Raleigh, Wake Co., NC this morning -- Aug. 9 |
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--000000000000635b08063bf1873b Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Folks, I rolled out of bed to do some birding along Mid-Pines Road south of Raleigh; it passes through the midst of the NC State U's farm fields, which are heavily "adorned" with tall corn right now, and sadly with recently mowed roadsides. No chance to see any or many butterflies, right? Wrong! This was the first morning since around August 1 with a blue sky in the morning; we endured 5 complete days of clouds and much rain from Sunday thru Thursday, and yesterday was mostly cloudy. So, butterflies were VERY eager to get some nectar. I found a dense planting of zinnias on the south side of the Treasuring Church on Lake Wheeler Road, a blooming stand of Common Milkweeds in a pasture near the creek, and lots of skippers on Prunella, Centrosema, and a few other flowers, plus on the dirt road. Here is what I had from about 830-1100 -- topped at the end by 2 Mississippi Kites circling over the church, one a full adult. Black Swallowtail 1 male Spicebush Swallowtail 1 E. Tiger Swallowtail 15 most at the milkweeds Sleepy Orange 8 Cabbage White 1 they and Orange Sulphurs obviously in dips between broods out there now Monarch 15 all over the milkweeds Variegated Fritillary 40 Viceroy 1 a surprise, on road near creek American Lady 1 Red Admiral 1 another surprise, on the dirt road Common Buckeye 25 Silver-spotted Skipper 7 mostly at zinnias COMMON SOOTYWING 2 singles at two sites over a mile apart along the road; known from here but hard to find Common Checkered-Skipper 2 Horace's Duskywing 1 Dun Skipper 2 Fiery Skipper 55 Little Glassywing 1 at Yates Pond, on Swamp Milkweed Sachem 1 female; FOY used to be common in the county, but scarce until August now Zabulon Skipper 14 mostly in forest tunnel and on Prunella at north end of dirt road Clouded Skipper *60* all over the zinnias and the northern part of the road Ocola Skipper 4 Least Skipper 3 Yates Pond Harry LeGrand Raleigh --000000000000635b08063bf1873b Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Folks,</div><div><br></div><div>I rolled out of bed t= o do some birding along Mid-Pines Road south of Raleigh; it passes through = the midst of the NC State U's farm fields, which are heavily "ador= ned" with tall corn right now, and sadly with recently mowed roadsides= .=C2=A0 No chance to see any or many butterflies, right?=C2=A0 Wrong!</div>= <div><br></div><div>This was the first morning since around August 1 with a= blue sky in the morning; we endured 5 complete days of clouds and much rai= n from Sunday thru Thursday, and yesterday was mostly cloudy.=C2=A0 So, but= terflies were VERY eager to get some nectar.=C2=A0 I found a dense planting= of zinnias on the south side of the Treasuring=C2=A0Church on Lake Wheeler= Road, a blooming stand of Common Milkweeds in a pasture near the creek, an= d lots of skippers on Prunella, Centrosema, and a few other flowers, plus o= n the dirt road.=C2=A0 Here is what I had from about 830-1100 -- topped at = the end by 2 Mississippi Kites circling over the church, one a full adult.<= /div><div><br></div><div>Black Swallowtail=C2=A0 1=C2=A0 male</div><div>Spi= cebush Swallowtail=C2=A0 1=C2=A0</div><div>E. Tiger Swallowtail=C2=A0 15=C2= =A0 =C2=A0most at the milkweeds</div><div>Sleepy Orange=C2=A0 8</div><div>C= abbage White=C2=A0 1=C2=A0 =C2=A0they and Orange Sulphurs obviously=C2=A0in= dips between broods out there now</div><div>Monarch=C2=A0 15=C2=A0 all ove= r the milkweeds</div><div>Variegated Fritillary=C2=A0 40</div><div>Viceroy= =C2=A0 1=C2=A0 a surprise, on road near creek</div><div>American Lady=C2=A0= 1</div><div>Red Admiral=C2=A0 1=C2=A0 another surprise, on the dirt road</= div><div>Common Buckeye=C2=A0 25</div><div>Silver-spotted Skipper=C2=A0 7= =C2=A0 mostly at zinnias</div><div>COMMON SOOTYWING=C2=A0 2=C2=A0 singles a= t two sites over a mile apart along the road; known from here but hard to f= ind</div><div>Common Checkered-Skipper=C2=A0 2</div><div>Horace's Dusky= wing=C2=A0 1</div><div>Dun Skipper=C2=A0 2</div><div>Fiery Skipper=C2=A0 55= </div><div>Little Glassywing=C2=A0 1=C2=A0 =C2=A0at Yates Pond, on Swamp Mi= lkweed</div><div>Sachem=C2=A0 1=C2=A0 female; FOY=C2=A0 used to be common i= n the county, but scarce until August now</div><div>Zabulon Skipper=C2=A0 1= 4=C2=A0 mostly in forest tunnel and on Prunella at north end of dirt road</= div><div>Clouded Skipper=C2=A0 <b>60</b>=C2=A0 all over the zinnias and the= northern part of the road</div><div>Ocola Skipper=C2=A0 4</div><div>Least = Skipper=C2=A0 3=C2=A0 Yates Pond</div><div><br></div><div>Harry LeGrand</di= v><div>Raleigh</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><= /div><div><br></div></div> --000000000000635b08063bf1873b-- |
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