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| List: Carolina-Leps Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2026 18:31:04 -0400 From: Harry LeGrand (via carolinaleps Mailing List) <carolinaleps...> Subject: Butterflies in Brunswick and New Hanover counties, NC -- Oct.15-16 |
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--0000000000000dacb9065dfcb9c4 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Folks, I needed a break from the ho-hum heat of Raleigh and needed to get away, so I spent yesterday and today in the southern NC counties; the weather was the standard wall to wall sunshine, fairly low humidity, and continued hot conditions (to the upper 80s) -- fine for the butterflies. Here are my rather blah results; BG = Brunswick County Botanical Gardens in Bolivia; ST = Sea Trail golf course at mainland Sunset Beach. For New Hanover, NH = New Hanover Botanical Gardens. I spent time at Fort Fisher, in New Hanover, a mistake this trip -- horrible lately, but in previous years can be exciting. *Brunswick County, Oct. 15:* Sleepy Orange 2 Cloudless Sulphur 90 Monarch 11 Gulf Fritillary 50 Variegated Fritillary 3 American Lady 1 BG Painted Lady *4* ST Common Buckeye 80 Pearl Crescent 6 Long-tailed Skipper 5 Silver-spotted Skipper 1 ZARUCCO DUSKYWING 1 ST fresh male flying around on territory near the golf course; fairly late Fiery Skipper 100 Whirlabout 2 ST females Eufala Skipper 1 BG Clouded Skipper 80 Ocola Skipper 110 Least Skipper 1 *New Hanover County, Oct. 16:* Sleepy Orange 6 Cloudless Sulphur 75 Monarch 6 Gulf Fritillary 60 Painted Lady 1 State Historic Site at Fort Fisher Common Buckeye 30 Long-tailed Skipper 6 all at NH Silver-spotted Skipper 3 Fiery Skipper 5 Whirlabout 2 male and females at NH Clouded Skipper 20 Ocola Skipper 18 Fort Fisher was horrible this morning. I had never missed Salt Marsh Skipper, even well into late October,and though there were some salt marsh asters in bloom, nothing was on the plants. John Taggart told me earlier this afternoon he had a few of these skippers two weeks earlier there but had none today. And, he has failed finding Phaon Crescents at ANY of four former county sites in the county this year. Though it seems that Dare County has retained most of its less common species this summer and fall, despite the record heat, local record drought, etc., the same cannot be said for coastal New Hanover. No telling when NC will see its next Queen, as I don't recall any NC reports this year, meaning that new colonies would likely need to begin anew from migrants north from FL or GA. (If you have never seen a Queen in NC, it could be a handful of years; let's hope not.) Harry LeGrand Raleigh PS -- I was able to see several Roseate Spoonbills, 50 or more Wood Storks, just one Anhinga, and 35+ Common Gallinules at the Twin Lakes area (3-4 lakes there). And, an immature Peregrine Falcon flew low over one of the lakes. --0000000000000dacb9065dfcb9c4 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Folks,</div><div><br></div><div>I needed a break from= the ho-hum heat of Raleigh and needed to get away, so I spent yesterday an= d today in the southern NC=C2=A0 counties; the weather was the standard wal= l to wall sunshine, fairly=C2=A0low humidity, and continued hot conditions = (to the upper 80s) -- fine for the butterflies.=C2=A0</div><div><br></div><= div>Here are my rather blah results; BG =3D Brunswick County Botanical Gard= ens in Bolivia; ST =3D Sea Trail golf course at mainland Sunset Beach. For = New Hanover, NH =3D New Hanover Botanical Gardens. I spent time at Fort Fis= her, in New Hanover, a mistake this trip -- horrible lately, but in previou= s years can be exciting.</div><div><br></div><div><u>Brunswick County, Oct.= 15:</u></div><div>Sleepy Orange=C2=A0 2</div><div>Cloudless Sulphur=C2=A0 = 90</div><div>Monarch=C2=A0 11</div><div>Gulf Fritillary=C2=A0 50</div><div>= Variegated Fritillary=C2=A0 3</div><div>American Lady=C2=A0 1=C2=A0 BG</div= ><div>Painted Lady=C2=A0 <b>4</b>=C2=A0 =C2=A0ST</div><div>Common Buckeye= =C2=A0 80</div><div>Pearl Crescent=C2=A0 6</div><div>Long-tailed Skipper=C2= =A0 5</div><div>Silver-spotted Skipper=C2=A0 1</div><div>ZARUCCO DUSKYWING= =C2=A0 1=C2=A0 ST=C2=A0 fresh male flying around on territory near the golf= course; fairly late</div><div>Fiery Skipper=C2=A0 100</div><div>Whirlabout= =C2=A0 2=C2=A0 ST=C2=A0 females</div><div>Eufala=C2=A0Skipper=C2=A0 1=C2=A0= BG</div><div>Clouded Skipper=C2=A0 80</div><div>Ocola=C2=A0Skipper=C2=A0 1= 10</div><div>Least Skipper=C2=A0 1</div><div><br></div><div><u>New Hanover = County, Oct. 16:</u></div><div>Sleepy Orange=C2=A0 6</div><div>Cloudless Su= lphur=C2=A0 75</div><div>Monarch=C2=A0 6</div><div>Gulf Fritillary=C2=A0 60= </div><div>Painted Lady=C2=A0 1=C2=A0 =C2=A0State Historic Site at Fort Fis= her</div><div>Common Buckeye=C2=A0 30</div><div>Long-tailed Skipper=C2=A0 6= =C2=A0 all at NH</div><div>Silver-spotted Skipper=C2=A0 3</div><div>Fiery S= kipper=C2=A0 5</div><div>Whirlabout=C2=A0 2=C2=A0 =C2=A0male and females at= NH</div><div>Clouded Skipper=C2=A0 20</div><div>Ocola=C2=A0Skipper=C2=A0 1= 8</div><div><br></div><div>Fort Fisher was horrible this morning. I had nev= er missed Salt Marsh Skipper, even well into late October,and though there = were some salt marsh asters in bloom, nothing was on the plants. John Tagga= rt told me earlier this afternoon he had a few of these skippers two weeks = earlier there but had none today. And, he has failed finding Phaon Crescent= s at ANY of four former county sites in the county this year. Though it see= ms that Dare County has retained most of its less common species this summe= r and fall, despite the record heat, local record drought, etc., the same c= annot be said for coastal New Hanover. No telling when NC will see its next= Queen, as I don't recall any NC reports this year, meaning that new co= lonies would likely need to begin anew from migrants north from FL or GA. (= If you have never seen a Queen in NC, it could be a handful of years; let&#= 39;s hope not.)</div><div><br></div><div>Harry LeGrand</div><div>Raleigh</d= iv><div><br></div><div>PS -- I was able to see several Roseate Spoonbills, = 50 or more Wood Storks, just one Anhinga, and 35+ Common Gallinules at the = Twin Lakes area (3-4 lakes there). And, an immature Peregrine Falcon flew l= ow over one of the lakes.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div= ><div><br></div></div> --0000000000000dacb9065dfcb9c4-- |
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