BUTTERFLIES – My 2006 Nature Checklist
I decided to split up my 2006 Nature Checklist into 5 different categories; Butterflies & Skippers, Amphibians, Reptiles, Mammals and Birds! I would like to start this series with my 45 Butterfly & Skipper species found within Western New York State. There is no doubt that my 2006 numbers are slightly lower than previous years and this is primarily due to it raining every weekend from Late July through Columbus weekend in October. The rain kept me from getting out in the field each weekend and shortened the amount of time which adults were able to be located flying around during the late summer/fall months.
Here is my list of Butterflies and Skippers which I have listed in taxonomic order by common name (I would be happy to send you their Latin name for any species in question):
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1. Black Swallowtail |
16. Meadow Fritillary |
31. Common Ringlet |
|
2. E. Tiger Swallowtail |
17. Pearl Crescent |
32. Comm Wood-Nymph |
|
3. West Virginia White |
18. Baltimore Checkerspot |
33. Monarch |
|
4. Cabbage White |
19. Question Mark |
34. Silver-spotted Skipper |
|
5. Clouded Sulphur |
20. Eastern Comma |
35. Dreamy Duskywing |
|
6. Orange Sulphur |
21. Gray Comma |
36. Juvenal Duskywing |
|
7. American Copper |
22. Mourning Cloak |
37. C. Checkered Skipper |
|
8. Striped Hairstreak |
23. American Lady |
38. Least Skipper |
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9. Eastern Tailed Blue |
24. Red Admiral |
39. European Skipper |
|
10. Spring Azure |
25. White Admiral |
40. Indian Skipper |
|
11. Summer Azure |
26. Red-spotted Purple |
41. Peck’s Skipper |
|
12. G. Spangled Fritillary |
27. Viceroy |
42. Long Dash |
|
13. Aphrodite Fritillary |
28. Northern Pearly-eye |
43. Hobomok Skipper |
|
14. Atlantis Fritillary |
29. Eyed Brown |
44. Dun Skipper |
|
15. Silver-bordered Fritillary |
30. Little Wood-Satyr |
45. Pepper n Salt Skipper |
My first butterflies were located on the 11th of April with 4 Eastern Comma’s and 1 Mourning Cloak along Bay State Road. My peak of butterflies observed was 22 species within 3 hours on the 21st of July 2006. In past years I have broken 30 species within a day’s time.
Even with this strange weather, there were a few butterfly highlights which I could not forget to report! The first had to be relocating a Baltimore Checkerspot on the 13th of July. This is the first which I have seen these guys flying around since 2002. I also enjoyed photographing the Common Checkered Skipper over at the Jamestown Audubon on the 10th of September 2006. The Silver-bordered Fritillary’s were wonderful while spending the day with Jeremy Martin on a flickr get-together at the Zaepfel Nature Sanctuary. My last memory was raising and releasing so many Monarch Butterflies this year for their migration south!
I can’t wait to see what butterflies in 2007 will bring me.
Mon@rch's Nature Blog 
Man you ALWAYS have the best photos. What kind of camera do you use? What size zoom? I know photography isn’t all in the camera, but was just curious.
Gorgeous Pictures!
3 January 2007 at 8:31 pm
These pictures are from two different cameras! One is a sony point and shoot camera! I think Sony’s have a great macro feature on them! The others are from my Nikon D70s DSLR!! Higher end but takes a bit more time to edit the pictures!
3 January 2007 at 8:46 pm
Wow, Mon@rch, these are great photos! I’m thrilled when I can get a photo of a butterfly with its wings open. You’ve got some great memories – thanks for sharing! About how many Monarchs did you raise/release? This whole post is so awesome!!
3 January 2007 at 9:47 pm
Thanks Pam and they are just as much fun as the birds are! Hmm, we did a bunch of them and can’t really remember (sorry)! I am going to work on the blog on my amphibians that I saw which should be another good one!
3 January 2007 at 10:36 pm
As I was scrolling down your list to get to this point I just saw “Question Mark.” I’m going to be getting out my butterfly books and looking at all that you found – now you’ve really got my curiousity peaked with “Question Mark!” Amphibians will be a great post, too!
4 January 2007 at 8:24 am
Tom, that’s quite a nice list and some fantastic shots to go with it. I’d love to see a Baltimore checkerspot one of these days… well, springs only 3 months away, right?
4 January 2007 at 8:34 am
Beautiful pictures! Would you recommend a butterfly field guide that would cover Minnesota? I’d like to learn more and try to id some this summer.
4 January 2007 at 9:17 am
I’d say it was a good year for butterflies! You definitely made 2006 a more beautiful year for me!!
4 January 2007 at 12:23 pm
Tom just a wonderful list of butterflies
4 January 2007 at 5:08 pm
@ Naturewoman – they have a ? on the wing! It is one of the comma’s which is like the big picture on the upper top (but that one is the Eastern Comma)!
@ Marty – I was very excited seeing the Baltimore and thanks for the kind words! I can’t can’t wait for spring to get here! Yaaa
@ Lynne – without a doubt, the Kenn Kaufman guide is the best one out there right now!
@ Heather – thanks and I have also enjoyed your photostream also!
@ Rick – thanks!
4 January 2007 at 7:33 pm
Wonderful shots. As a butterfly novice I was wondering what the butterflies were in the pictures – anyway to add names?
4 January 2007 at 8:26 pm
Thanks Nature Shutterbug, if you hold your mouse over the picture, it will say what the species name is! Or you could always click on the picture and you can see its name in flickr!
4 January 2007 at 8:43 pm