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| List: Carolina-Leps Date: Mon, 26 Oct 2026 09:43:35 -0400 From: <dallen5...> Subject: from the north central South Carolina coast |
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Santee Delta East, Georgetown County, SC. Carolina Butterfly Monitoring Program survey #14. Walked the 1-mile route along a dike separating the North Santee River and managed wetland impoundments. October 25, 2026. 10:45 am - 1218 pm. mostly sunny, steady 10-15 NE wind. 65 F. Dennis Allen Orange Sulphur 1 (likely a first for the site) Cloudless Sulphur 6 Red-banded Hairstreak 360 counted, see note below Gulf Fritillary 7 Pearl Crescent 2 Common Buckeye 3 White Checkered-Skipper 2 Clouded Skipper 4 Fiery Skipper 1 Ocola Skipper 23 Very high numbers of Red-banded Hairstreaks were present, even more than on the survey 11 days earlier. I counted the first 360 and observed many hundreds of others beyond the closest 5 m of the roadbed. Goldenrod was past its peak but about 50% of the plants had bright flowers. Several kinds of small blue asters were at the seasonal peak. Cutleaf Coneflower which was the main nectar source in recent months was at about 10% of its peak. Flowers of all types attracted nectarers. Shoulders and slopes along the second half mile of the route had been mowed this week, so almost all counts were in the first half mile. This was the final survey for 2026 because SCWMR closes access to hikers during duck hunting season Nov. 1- Feb. 10 each year. We are grateful that they honored our request not to mow the shoulders during the growing season. |
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