Great Spangled Fritillary & Eastern Purple Coneflower
I am finally seeing more butterfly abundance and diversity as we enter July, and I could not be happier about that! I photographed this appropriately named Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) nectaring on a fresh Eastern Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) during the morning of Independence Day. These pollinator plants are gorgeous and great for attracting beneficial insects to your yard. On Sunday, July 3, I was thrilled to finally see my first of the year Monarch butterflies. What species have you spotted recently? Have you planted anything in your garden to help pollinators...
Read MoreWildLife Guards Training – Netting Dragonflies
Training week for the Bridgeport WildLife Guards Crew Leaders continues! We will be adding some new lesson plans and activities for the WildLife Guards this year both in conservation survey work and educational outreach. While much of our work is focused on birds we felt that considering Pleasure Beach is an important migratory hub for butterflies and dragonflies that we should teach the WildLife Guards about some of the insects that they can expect to see moving through the gardens and fields of milkweed, goldenrod and so forth. I created a couple lists of ten expected butterfly and...
Read MoreSwamp Milkweed
The Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is on the way! These wonderfully helpful pollinator plants, beloved by the Monarch butterfly for feeding and egg laying, will be blooming soon enough. I am looking forward to seeing all sorts of butterflies and other insects enjoying the nectar this summer. Have you planted any beneficial and native pollinator plants in your yard? What are you hoping to spot feeding on them? Go see what you can find this weekend in the great outdoors… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MorePearl Crescent
Here is a Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) butterfly as photographed in the grass last week – the insects are coming!
Read MoreBlack Swallowtail
I have been on a bird tear lately, and considering it is May and this is the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History, I think it is very appropriate. However, spring is also springing for butterflies and I cannot neglect them. I found and photographed this Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) yesterday, and considering how fresh and crisp it looks the butterfly seems like it could have flown right off the pages of a Peterson Field Guide. The Clouded Sulphur, American Lady, Eastern Tailed-Blue and more are all in the air now. What species have you spotted so far this May? Scott...
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