Butterflies at Harold Alexander WMA and Big Lake NWR

[asilidman]

Yesterday, Aug 1st, we went up to Harold Alexander WMA in Sharp County near Sitka. After such low butterfly numbers early in the summer we were delighted to find very good numbers of many species especially at tall stands of mint growing in a creek just off Hwy  58 at S. Morgan Trail,       before you reach Sitka and the road into HAWMA. Spicebush Swallowtails were the most numerous there with a few Pipevine and E. Tigers in the mix. There were probably around 60 or 70 swallowtails along the stream. There were also many Sleepy Orange, very fresh and bright in colour and Silvery Checkerspots  also in huge numbers.  It was curious that Hoary-edge Skippers were plentiful and Silver-spotted less so. A special treat was a Juniper Hairstreak that walked around on my thumb and had to be persuaded to leave...one of 2 we saw in the WMA.
Today, Aug. 2nd, we walked along the east side of the Moist Soils Unit at Big Lake. We counted at least 12 Bronze Coppers, Southern Dogfaces were abundant and a Harvester posed while guarding his territory. Bronze Coppers were laying eggs on dock leaves along the path and Southern Dogface were laying eggs on Indigobush.
Apart from the Silver-spotted and Hoary Edge Skippers and Northern Cloudywing we saw no other skippers.

HAWMA AUG 1st. 2013
E.Tiger Sw. 
Pipevine Sw.
Spicebush Sw. Abundant
Sleepy Orange Abundant
Cloudless Sulphur
Orange Sulphur
Little Yellow
E. Tailed Blue
Red-banded Hairstreak
Juniper Hairstreak 2
Silvery Checkerspot Abundant
Buckeye
Question Mark
Pearl Crescent
Hackberry
Red-spotted Purple
American Lady
E. Comma
Am. Snout
Goatweed
Variegated Fritillary
Common Wood Nymph
Northern Cloudywing
Hoary-edge Skipper
Silver-spotted Skipper

Big Lake NWR   Aug 2nd 2013
Cloudless Sulphur
Southern Dogface   Abundant
Harvester 1
Bronze Copper 12
E. Tailed Blue
Gray Hairstreak
Am. Snout
Silvery Checkerspot
Pearl Crescent
Phaon Crescent
Question Mark
Buckeye
Goatweed
Viceroy
Hackberry
Broad-winged Skipper
Silver-spotted Skipper
Least Skipper

Cheryl and Norman Lavers

[mpruitt]

Where did y'all see the Broad-wingeds? I looked and didn't find. I'd also like to see the dogfaces and sleepy orange.

[asilidman]

The Broad-wings are usually in the grasses growing at the water's edge on the left right after you cross the bridge and on the left when you make a left to go around the MSU...on the open water side. This time though we saw on on the right of the right hand levee as we walked up there and it sat on an Arrowhead leaf to show off all its markings. They flutter along like a butterfly that has been injured and can barely fly. Usually they are right in the grasses flying between the stalks.

The S. Dogfaces were everywhere, very handsome in flight though they never open their wings when they land of course (prove me wrong!). The Indigobush grows all over in there. The Sleepy Oranges were all over the place at HAWMA and must have been fresh as they were perfect.

Cheryl