Week 2 of the migrating season was a bit of a step backwards from the previous weeks' numbers with an average of 7.37 Monarchs/hour. However, this number isn't all too surprising with the epic storm that happened during the week...the storm that resulted in Cameron Cox's impromptu kayak trip down Columbia Avenue at 6 AM (please refer to Doug's previous posts for pictures). As the high water receded, so did our Monarchs. This week, the Monarchs are staging a major comeback and today was a record day with 63.46 Monarchs/hour!
Last Friday (Sept. 18th) we kicked off our weekly Monarch tagging demos and Team Monarch is coming together. The biggest team player and founder of the Monarch Project here in Cape May, Dick Walton (who is well known for his work on the Peterson's Birding By Ear Field Guides), has just arrived here to assist us in tagging and getting the word out on what we're up to.
While reading about the Monarch happenings here sure is fun, what's better is that you can catch us in action for free! Till the end of the season (Oct. 31st), you can find us giving Monarch tagging demonstrations at the pavilion next to the Hawkwatch Platform (at Cape May Point State Park) every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2 PM.
And now for our Butterfly of the Week: The Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus)
ID Points: Wing Span 1.25-1.5 in. Very short antenae; Males have many small black spots on the underside of the hindwing while Females are pale brown in color with slightly lighter specks (the upper side is darker than males with an orange band rather visible)
(In this picture, the male is shown to the left and the female to the right)
Food (Adults): Aster, Swamp Milkweed, Ironweed (side note: These are also favorite foods for Adult Monarchs!), Thistles, and Sweet Pepperbush
Interesting Facts: When these caterpillars emerge, they eat leaves and also roll and tie them to create makeshift shelters that lie horizontally in the sod..talk about being resourceful!
Though these skippers breed further south, they often wander northward to the Cape May area at the end of summer. Like Monarchs, Fiery Skippers cannot survive the cold winters here, making them rarer to see as we head into the fall season. In recent walks given by staff of the Cape May Bird Observatory, we are still finding a few of them lurking about on walking paths at the State Park, Pavilion Circle, and other private gardens. If you haven't seen a Fiery Skipper yet, or, like me, have difficulty finding them amongst the sea of Sachems (another common Skipper species here), the Cape May Bird Observatory regularly hosts Butterfly walks around Cape May. The next CMBO sponsored walk will be held Thursday Sept. 24 in the Goshen Gardens (at the NJAB/CMBO Center for Research and Education) from 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM and a Butterfly and Dragonfly Walk will be held on Sunday Sept. 27 from Noon - 2PM meeting at the Hawkwatch Platform. Both events are $6 for members and $10 for non-members.
Till next time, Happy Bird/Butterfly/Dragonfly hunting everyone!
For more information about Dick Walton and his DVD releases, Podcasts, and other publications check out this website:
http://www.rkwalton.com/
For more cool pictures of the Fiery Skipper check out this site:
http://www.cirrusimage.com/skipper_fiery.htm
For the CMBO Weekly Walks Schedule, check out this link:
http://www.birdcapemay.org/programs.php
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