flutterbys

After my mention of the big influx of early-May butterflies last week, Kristine Wallstrom sent me a copy of a recent exchange between Rick Cech and other member/subscribers of NYS Butterflies. So I wrote to Rick (with whom I once birded Ecuador) and he suggested that Red Admirals were migrating from a variety of over-wintering sites and might even possibly overwinter at some more northerly sites in pupa form (also known as chrysalis or cocoon). He also suggested that the phenomenon may not be as rare or unusual as some people think; many butterflies, not only monarchs, fly south for the winter and north in the spring and sometimes in large numbers. However I do think the current influx is unusual for two reasons: one, that is has occurred so early in the spring (the first half of May) and the other that it appears to involve a number of species (although with Red Admirals in the lead).

The early butterfly out here is usually the Mourning Cloak, one of the rare butterflies which hibernates as an adult and hence is prone to reappear on the first warm days of spring. But I didn't even see one until yesterday when two of them appeared in the sunny, warm, whitewashed pocket between our porch and the barn; they were doing a spiraling aerial dance -- either love or war, I'm not sure which. At least one Mourning Cloak was still around today. The other butterflies that I've been able to ID in the mix have included Painted Lady (or American Painted Lady -- the main difference seems to be in the larger eye spots on the back of the hind wing but I don't always get a good view), Eastern Comma, and Spring Azure (the beautiful tiny blue that doesn't show the color when in perches with its wings closed). Also saw my first dragonfly of the season over the pond (against the morning sun; couldn't ID it).

Other firsts of the year: several Least Terns over the creek and a Yellow-crowned Night Heron hanging around the pond. Also, a young (first-cycle?) Ring-billed Gull (not many Ring-bills around at this time of the year). A handsome male Rose-breasted Grosbeak was in the upland oaks, easily findable by its sharp chip note and an occasional few notes of pretty grosbeak melody.

Eric Salzman