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| List: Carolina-Leps Date: Sun, 10 May 2026 19:31:57 -0400 From: Harry LeGrand (via carolinaleps Mailing List) <carolinaleps...> Subject: Pee Dee NWR, Anson Co., NC butterflies -- May 10, 2026 |
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--000000000000ef4e7b06517f09f2 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Folks, I had a two-fold reason to travel from Raleigh to the refuge. First, I was hoping to see the tail end of the brief flight period for the very rare and local Midland Clubtail, at sites along the Rocky River. I failed -- too late in the season. Second, I had never birded or butterflied the refuge in the warmer months. I compiled an all-inclusive eBird list for the several hours, which will make the eBird Police gag, but if they (Cornell) want a bird list for the refuge on May 10, it's going to be a refuge list only (56 species, including 13 breeding warbler species) and not split up into 3-5 small road sites. The butterflies were, as expected, a bit hard to come by, as despite an inch of rain on Thursday, the fields and dirt roads are still bone dry, as Extreme drought covers the Carolinas now. Most of my efforts were north of Grassy Island Road, but there were drives around Arrowhead Lake and along Pinkston-River Road. Skippers were in VERY low supply; I think they are all in Sumter NF in Edgefield County, SC!! Nectar plants were mainly exotics like White Clover, Privet, and Cat's-ear. Hardly any native species are in bloom that attract butterflies right now. Here are my totals from 10:00 - 1:45. Zebra Swallowtail 1 Spicebush Swallowtail 2 E. Tiger Swallowtail 3 Sleepy Orange 1 Orange Sulphur 2 Cloudless Sulphur 4 Cabbage White 3 Gray Hairstreak 1 the ONLY gossamer-wing! American Snout 6 Variegated Fritillary 6 very worn (Red-spotted Purple 0) Where were they?? No emperors either *Mourning Cloak 12 *Wow! Scattered on the sunny dirt roads, all fresh; likely will fly for a few days and then estivate Question Mark 3 Eastern Comma *8 *much more numerous in the region this year than usual American Lady 5 Red Admiral 2 Common Buckeye 3 Pearl Crescent 6 Carolina Satyr 1 *Intricate Satyr 1* large size, slow flight, perched readily for me to get photos; second Anson record, but likely not rare in the rich bottomlands there; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/360407559 Silver-spotted Skipper 1 Zabulon Skipper 3 Least Skipper 1 22 species Harry LeGrand Raleigh PS -- One highlight was a black phase Fox Squirrel, the first I have seen in the Piedmont; it almost looked like a "stripeless" Striped Skunk! Another was stumbling into a known site for the rare *Baptisia alba* [Thick-pod White Wild Indigo], in late bloom, and finding a few just-finished *Trillium cuneatum* near the covered bridge. --000000000000ef4e7b06517f09f2 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Folks,</div><div><br></div><div>I had a two-fold reas= on to travel from Raleigh to the refuge. First, I was hoping to see the tai= l end of the brief flight period for the very rare and local Midland Clubta= il, at sites along the Rocky River. I failed -- too late in the season.=C2= =A0 Second, I had never birded or butterflied the refuge in the warmer=C2= =A0months. I compiled an all-inclusive eBird list for the several hours, wh= ich will make the eBird Police gag, but if they (Cornell) want a bird list = for the refuge on May 10, it's going to be a refuge list only (56 speci= es, including 13 breeding warbler species) and not split up into 3-5 small = road=C2=A0sites.</div><div><br></div><div>The butterflies were, as expected= , a bit hard to come by, as despite an inch of rain on Thursday, the fields= and dirt roads are still bone dry, as Extreme drought covers the=C2=A0Caro= linas now. Most of my efforts were north of Grassy Island Road, but there w= ere drives around Arrowhead Lake and along Pinkston-River Road.=C2=A0 Skipp= ers were in VERY low supply; I think they are all in Sumter NF in Edgefield= County, SC!!=C2=A0 Nectar plants were mainly exotics like White Clover, Pr= ivet, and Cat's-ear.=C2=A0 Hardly any native species are in bloom that = attract butterflies right now. Here are my totals from 10:00 - 1:45.</div><= div><br></div><div>Zebra Swallowtail=C2=A0 1</div><div>Spicebush Swallowtai= l=C2=A0 2</div><div>E. Tiger Swallowtail=C2=A0 3</div><div>Sleepy Orange=C2= =A0 1</div><div>Orange Sulphur=C2=A0 2</div><div>Cloudless Sulphur=C2=A0 4<= /div><div>Cabbage White=C2=A0 3</div><div>Gray Hairstreak=C2=A0 1=C2=A0 the= ONLY gossamer-wing!</div><div>American Snout=C2=A0 6</div><div>Variegated = Fritillary=C2=A0 6=C2=A0 very worn</div><div>=C2=A0 (Red-spotted Purple=C2= =A0 0)=C2=A0 =C2=A0Where were they??=C2=A0 No emperors either</div><div><b>= Mourning Cloak=C2=A0 12=C2=A0 =C2=A0</b>Wow!=C2=A0 Scattered on the sunny d= irt roads, all fresh; likely will fly for a few days and then estivate</div= ><div>Question Mark=C2=A0 3</div><div>Eastern Comma=C2=A0 <b>8=C2=A0 </b>mu= ch more numerous in the region this year than usual</div><div>American Lady= =C2=A0 5</div><div>Red Admiral=C2=A0 2</div><div>Common Buckeye=C2=A0 3</di= v><div>Pearl Crescent=C2=A0 6</div><div>Carolina Satyr=C2=A0 1</div><div><b= >Intricate Satyr=C2=A0 1</b>=C2=A0 large size, slow flight, perched readily= for me to get photos; second Anson record, but likely not rare in the rich= bottomlands there;=C2=A0</div><div><a href=3D"https://www.inaturalist.org/= observations/360407559" originalSrc=3D"https://www.inaturalist.org/observat= ions/360407559">https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/360407559</a></div= ><div>Silver-spotted Skipper=C2=A0 1</div><div>Zabulon Skipper=C2=A0 3</div= ><div>Least Skipper=C2=A0 1</div><div><br></div><div>22 species</div><div><= br></div><div>Harry LeGrand</div><div>Raleigh</div><div><br></div><div>PS -= - One highlight was a black phase Fox Squirrel, the first I have seen in th= e Piedmont; it almost looked like a "stripeless" Striped=C2=A0Sku= nk! Another was stumbling into a known site for the rare <i>Baptisia alba</= i> [Thick-pod White Wild Indigo], in late bloom, and finding a few just-fin= ished <i>Trillium cuneatum</i> near the covered bridge.</div><div><br></div= ></div> --000000000000ef4e7b06517f09f2-- |
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