This trip was just a small field trip that just came together not a CBS trip.We met at 1 PM along Eno Mountain Road next to the Eno River. The weather was bright and in the 70s, couldn`t be beat for a first weekend of spring butterfly trip. Just about 4 PM clouds moved in just as we were leaving.

All seven adults and one child were amazed at the courtship flights going on when we found the Brown Elfins. At one point I counted 8 elfins either in the air in courtship, mating or perched. We even saw one courtship flight end in mating! Both myself and Roger Rittmaster took photos of the mated pair on Mountain Laurels. In all we found 15 Brown Elfins in 4 places on the Brown Elfin Knob Trail.

The gravel road to the top of the mountain was busy with Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, Edward`s Spring Azures, Eastern Commas, Mourning Cloaks and Juvenal`s Duskywings. The Sleepy Duskywings were a new early record for North Carolina.

Here`s the list of what we saw:

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 10 Spicebush Swallowtail 1
Falcate Orangetip 8
Orange Sulphur 1
Clouded/orange Sulphur 4
Brown Elfin 15
Spring{Edwards}Azure 25
Question Mark 1
Eastern Comma 6
Anglewing species 4
Mourning Cloak 14
American Lady 1
Sleepy Duskywing 3
Juvenal`s Duskywing 10

Randy Emmitt