Despite the cold, dry weather and the lack of nectar sources, I’m still seeing several butterflies around Blue Jay Barrens. The most abundant is the Buckeye. This is a southern immigrant that won’t survive the winter in Ohio. I can’t remember a year where I’ve seen this many Buckeyes.
The occasional Clouded Sulphur can still be found in the field. This is a common resident that is normally abundant every year.
The Variegated Fritillary is another immigrant. I don’t see this species very often at Blue Jay Barrens. I’ve seen several during the past month.
Meadow Fritillaries have been especially abundant this year. They prefer a moist habitat, so it’s interesting that I’m seeing so many in this super dry year. Maybe the abundant rainfall early in the year set the stage for a population explosion of this species.
Checkered Skippers are still abundant, but they seem to have ceased their egg laying activities. Most of the individuals I see are just resting spread-winged in the sun.
There must be a lot of butterflies around if they’re all trying to squeeze into the same picture. This year has had an extraordinary abundance of butterflies. I hope the butterfly bonanza continues on into next year.
Despite the cold, dry weather and the lack of nectar sources, I’m still seeing several butterflies around Blue Jay Barrens. The most abundant is the Buckeye. This is a southern immigrant that won’t survive the winter in Ohio. I can’t remember a year where I’ve seen this many Buckeyes.
The occasional Clouded Sulphur can still be found in the field. This is a common resident that is normally abundant every year.
The Variegated Fritillary is another immigrant. I don’t see this species very often at Blue Jay Barrens. I’ve seen several during the past month.
Meadow Fritillaries have been especially abundant this year. They prefer a moist habitat, so it’s interesting that I’m seeing so many in this super dry year. Maybe the abundant rainfall early in the year set the stage for a population explosion of this species.
Checkered Skippers are still abundant, but they seem to have ceased their egg laying activities. Most of the individuals I see are just resting spread-winged in the sun.
There must be a lot of butterflies around if they’re all trying to squeeze into the same picture. This year has had an extraordinary abundance of butterflies. I hope the butterfly bonanza continues on into next year.
