This past week has brought an aerial invasion of sorts. From the east coast to the midwest, Red Admiral butterflies have been showing up in numbers like never before. These striking butterflies are returning northward from wintering in the south, from Texas to 
Guatemala. They begin traveling north in March. With the extremely early warm weather, mony more than usual have survived the journey. Some will stay in our area to breed and lay eggs. Later in the summer months we should see a large number of the next generation of Red Admirals.
Winged Invasion
May 9, 2012 at 2:53 pm (butterflies, insects, migration, nature, observations, outdoors, Pennsylvania, seasons)
Fall of the Monarch
October 27, 2011 at 11:54 am (butterflies, insects, Montour Preserve, nature, observations, outdoors, Pennsylvania)
Migrating monarch butterfly
This has nothing to do with the dethroning of a king. Rather, it is the end of the migration for the black-and-orange monarch butterflies. We see many of these butterflies passing through Pennsylvania in September on their way to Mexico. Just when the first monarchs are reaching their wintering grounds in Mexico, a few stragglers are still passing through even this late in October.
Butterfly Day at Montour Preserve
September 13, 2011 at 12:27 pm (Activities, butterflies, conservation, education, insects, migration, Montour Preserve, Pennsylvania)
Despite cloudy skies on Sunday, September 11, MontourPreserve’s annual Butterfly Day, co-sponsored by the Central Susquehanna Valley chapter of the North American Butterfly Association attracted a number of kids and adults. Educational programs and fun activities on butterflies culminated with the tagging and release of live monarch butterflies. Both adults and children delighted in gently handling these long-distance migrants as they began a southward journey to Mexico.
Releasing a tagged monarch butterfly at Montour Preserve
The Eyes Have It…
August 19, 2011 at 5:25 pm (butterflies, insects, Montour Preserve, nature, observations, Pennsylvania, plants)
Buckeye Butterfly
…at least when it comes to these colorful butterflies. Those large eyespots on the slightly scalloped wings of common buckeyes act to scare off predators. These butterflies are quite common right now, particularly in low vegetation, where there is abundant plantain. Male buckeyes perch on low plants or bare ground, watching for female buckeyes to fly by. From time to time, a male buckeye will fly off to check on nearby insects.
Hide and Seek Butterfly
June 18, 2011 at 10:21 am (butterflies, insects, Montour Preserve, nature, observations, outdoors, Pennsylvania)
They frequent forest edges and clearings in early summer, flitting about with a quick, bouncy flight. Their movement attracts attention, but the moment they land, these little brown butterflies disappear among leaves and branches. The brownish color of Little Wood-Satyrs blends in so well that they can easily hide when they feel threatened. If a bird predator gets a bead on them the many eyespots on the wood-satyr’s wings just might make them think twice before taking a bite.
Little Wood-Satyr resting quietly on a cool, overcast morning.
