2007 FIELD TRIP OBSERVATIONS

CREW Marsh Joint Trip with Tropical Audubon Society, Broward Chapter of NABA, and Miami Blue Chapter, August 25, 2007

Locations: Trail system of CREW Marsh, including extensive pinelands, marsh, and some hardwood hammock.

Weather: mostly sunny, very hot, no breeze; mosquitoes, ticks present but minimal.

Butterflies seen: Zebra Swallowtail (fairly common, 4 - 10), Black Swallowtail (1), Giant Swallowtail (uncommon, 1-3), Palamedes Swallowtail (common, 11-20), Great Southern White (2), Little Yellow (common, 11-20), Barred Yellow (fairly common, 4-10), Cloudless Sulphur (fairly common, 4-10), Gray Hairstreak (abundant, 21-100), Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak (fairly common, 4-10), Gulf Fritillary (fairly common, 4-10), Zebra Heliconian (1), Phaon Crescent (fairly common, 4-10), Pearl Crescent (fairly common, 4-10). Common Buckeye (5), Peacock (abundant, 21-100), Queen (abundant, 21-100), Horace's Duskywing (2), Whirlabout (1). Bella Moth (1), Faithful Beauty (1), and abundant very small and micro-moths were noted.

Comment: Group was very large and strung out on trails; hence attentive counting of butterfly species was ruled out. Members of NABA-Broward and Miami Blue Chapters gave high marks to CREW -- definite return trips in other seasons are indicated!

North Key Largo, Schaus’ Hunt, May 27,  2007

Locations: Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park & Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge Butterfly Garden.

Weather: sunny, warm, light breeze; mosquitos present but minimal. Seemed dry, despite rain in previous days. Very few butterflies seen.

Butterflies seen: Giant Swallowtail 1, Schaus’ Swallowtail 1, Florida White 4, Large Orange Sulphur 14, Cassius Blue almost constantly present, Gulf Fritillary 12, Julia 2, Zebra Heliconian 3, Mangrove Skipper 4, Hammock Skipper 3.

Key West & Lower Keys, April 21-22, 2007

Locations: Saturday in Key West, Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, Little Hamaca Park, Key West Botanical Garden; Sunday, Sugarloaf Key, private garden on Big Pine Key.

Weather: sunny, breezy, mostly very dry conditions.

Butterflies seen:  Giant Swallowtail 4, White sp. 1, Barred Yellow 7, Cloudless Sulphur 2, Orange-barred Sulphur 2, Large Orange Sulphur 19, Gray Hairstreak 2, Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak 1, Eastern Pygmy Blue 20, Cassius Blue 34, Gulf Fritillary 22, Julia 1, Zebra Heliconian 3, Monarch 1, Soldier 1, Mangrove Skipper 2, Hammock Skipper 3, Long-tailed Skipper 1, Dorantes Skipper 2, Florida Duskywing 1, Tropical Checkered Skipper 1, Fiery Skipper 2, Whirlabout 1, Southern Broken-Dash 2, Monk Skipper 6.  Totals: 25 species, 141 individuals.

Jonathan Dickinson State Park, April 8, 2007: the Dusted Skipper Walk

Locations: Power Line across main road from equestrian exercise field, main park paved road swails, Kitching Creek Trail, Observation Tower, Picnic Area. Best roadside habitat (thistles) for the Dusted Skipper has been bulldozed by the park for installation of a bike path adjacent to the park main road; no Dusted Skippers were seen.

Weather: partly cloudy, very dry conditions.

Everglades National Park, March 31, 2007

Locations: Flamingo (Eco Pond, Campground, Coastal Prairie Trail); Mahogany Hammock Road; Palm Glade Lake Road to Gate 8; Trails at Gates 10, 11.

Weather: sunny, hot, very dry, very windy on road swails and in open areas. Blooming thistle, Bidens alba, Fleabane.

Butterflies seen: Giant Swallowtail 1, Palamedes Swallowtail  12, Great Southern White 3, Little Yellow 15, Sleepy Orange 3, Barred Yellow 8, Cloudless Sulphur 6, Large Orange Sulphur 2, Gray Hairstreak 1, Red-banded Hairstreak 2, Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak 1, Eastern Pygmy Blue 24, Cassius Blue 5, Ceraunus Blue 19, Little Metalmark 4, Gulf Fritillary 7, Zebra Heliconian 2, Variegated Fritillary 1, Phaon Crescent 4, Pearl Crescent 2, Common Buckeye 1, White Peacock 5, Florida Leafwing 1, Monarch 1, Queen 2, Fiery Skipper 5, Delaware Skipper 4, Twin-spot  Skipper 12, Palatka Skipper 4,  Obscure Skipper 1. Totals: 30 species, 158 individuals.

Chapman Field & Matheson Hammock--West, March 3, 2007

Locations: Chapman Field Park Natural Area’s trail through the mangroves and coastal area & Matheson Hammock’s  west side trails through the hammock to the Old Dade Nursery.

Weather: sunny, dry, hot conditions. Few flowering nectar sources noted.

Butterflies seen:  Polydamus Swallowtail 1, Giant Swallowtail 1, Great Southern White 4, Florida White 9, Cloudless Sulphur 2, Orange-barred Sulphur 1, Large Orange Sulphur 1, Ceraunus  Blue 4, Gulf Fritillary 4, Julia Heliconian 3, Zebra Heliconian 6, Mangrove Buckeye 6, White Peacock 2, Ruddy Daggerwing 2,  Monarch 6, Queen 1, Mangrove Skipper 4, Long-tailed Skipper 2, Horace’s Duskywing 1, Fiery Skipper 1,   Baracoa Skipper 1, Monk Skipper 2. Totals: 22 species, 65  individuals.

Northeast Miami-Dade County Parks, February 24, 2007

Locations: Oleta River State Park (coastal scrub, mix of exotic and native trees in patches, disturbed areas, small butterfly garden), Arch Creek Park (oak and hardwood hammock), Elaine Gordon Enchanted Forest (oak and hardwoods, riding trails, picnic areas), Greynolds Park (mangrove, hammock patches, picnic and sports areas).

Weather: windy, sunny, dry, hot conditions. Very few flowering nectar sources noted.

Butterflies seen:  Giant Swallowtail 4,  Dainty Sulphur 2, Barred Yellow 12, Cloudless Sulphur 2, Orange-barred Sulphur 3, Large Orange Sulphur 2, Atala 2, Ceraunus Blue 6, Gulf Fritillary 24, Julia Heliconian 16, Zebra Heliconian 10, Ruddy Daggerwing 3,  Monarch 6, Dorantes Longtail 1, Tropical Checkered-Skipper 2, Fiery Skipper 1,  Monk Skipper 1. Totals: 17 species, 97 individuals.

Southwest Miami-Dade County Parks, February 10, 2007

Locations: Nixon Smiley Natural Area (pineland), Larry & Penny Thompson Park Natural Area (pineland with abundant Pineland Croton), Everglades National Park-Chekika Unit (sawgrass marsh, hardwood hammock, disturbed areas in former campground/ picnic areas).

Weather: windy, sunny, dry, hot conditions.  Very few flowering nectar sources except some Spanish Needle and at Chekika, some thistle.

Butterflies seen: Polydamus Swallowtail 2, Giant Swallowtail 2,  Great Southern White 4, Dainty Sulphur 8, Little Yellow 2, Sleepy Orange 4, Large Orange Sulphur 2, Cassius Blue 3, Ceraunus Blue 9, Gulf Fritillary 10, Julia Heliconian 3, Zebra Heliconian 18, Phaon Crescent 3, Pearl Crescent 1,  Common Buckeye 4, White Peacock 2, Queen 3, Tropical Checkered-Skipper 3, Neamathla Skipper 1, Three-spotted Skipper 1, Baracoa Skipper 6, Palatka Skipper 2, Monk Skipper 2. Totals: 23 species, 95 individuals.