Folks,

The third annual Caswell County Butterfly Count was a huge success finding 53 species of butterflies and one new county record a Hayhurst's Scallopwing! So far after 3 years of doing this count the Caswell Count has not fell below 50 species. Surely its one of North Carolinas best counts in species numbers and excellent teams of butterfliers! We had 8 people in 4 parties out looking in 92 degree heat. Five people in the group went home at lunch time leaving Will, Jim and I working the fields till 4 pm I think we did fantastic!

Reports from each group were as follows:

Emmitt and Bockhahn:

Did pretty good at Hilda's 200 acre farm visiting her small butterfly garden and horse pasture with mowed down Buttonbush that provided 3 Tawny-edged Skippers and the only Clouded Sulphur of the count. We also found large numbers of Clouded and Zabulon Skippers early in the morning on morning glories and heal all near a reconstruction site of a bridge that wasted a Appalachian Brown site. Buttonbush, Sneezeweed, Goldenrod, Red Clover and New York Ironweed were the main nectar sources. The Sneezeweed produced record numbers of Variegated Fritillaries, Common Buckeyes, Common Checkered Skippers and Common Sootywings.

Nottke and Funderburk:

Blew everyone away by finding an incredible 40 species including the Hayhurst's Scallopwing, anglewings, browns and satyrs. They walked down into the drought stricken Hyco lake via Hyco Creek. The lower than normal water levels allowed passage into this area, you could say they used the drought to their advantage! Jim reported Swamp Milkweed to be their best nectar source.

Cook and Krakauer:

They found very little in the way of nectar sources in fact Will said they barely found any good sources of nectar, though Joe-pye-weed did have a few swallowtails on it. Juniper Hairstreak at Sandy's garden was their best find. According to Will Sandy's garden really added to his list.

LeGrand and Rexrode:

I did not hear directly from them, but heard they couldn't find much in the way of nectar plants at all. Even with what I'd call one of the circles best areas they handed in the towel at lunch time.

CRH means count record high number. CRL means count record low number. NTC means new to count. Here`s the Butterfly list:

Pipevine Swallowtail (6)
Zebra Swallowtail (4) CRH (all fresh)
Black Swallowtail (3)
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (200) *had 318 in 2000
Spicebush Swallowtail (44)
Cabbage White (6)
Clouded Sulphur (1)
Orange Sulphur (8)
Cloudless Sulphur (18) CRH
Sleepy Orange (53)
Juniper Hairstreak (1)
Gray Hairstreak (3)
Red-banded Hairstreak (3)
Eastern-tailed Blue (60)
Summer Azure (41)
American Snout (3) CTL
Variegated Fritillary (39) CRH
Great Spangled Fritillary (20) CRH
Pearl Crescent (92) *had 211 in 2000
Question Mark (2) CRL
Eastern Comma (4) CRL
American Lady (5) CRL
Red Admiral (1) CRL
Common Buckeye (84) CRH
Red-spotted Purple (14)
Viceroy (3)
Hackberry Emperor (16)
Tawny Emperor (3)
Northern Pearly-eye (7)
Appalachian Brown (16) CRH
Carolina Satyr (11) CRL
Little Wood Satyr (1)
Common Wood Nymph (3) CRL
Monarch (2) (26 last year) CRL
Silver-spotted Skipper (30) CRL
Hoary Edge (21) 3 last year
Southern Cloudywing (44)
Hayhurst's Scallopwing (1) NTC(new county record)
Horace`s Duskywing (2) CRL
Zarucco Duskywing (3) NTC
Common Checkered Skipper (24) CRH
Common Sootywing (37) CRH
Swarthy Skipper (1) CRL
Clouded Skipper (13)
Least Skipper (6)
Fiery Skipper (6)
Tawny-edged Skipper (3) CRH
Crossline Skipper (5)
Southern Broken Dash (1)
Little Glassywing (10)
Sachem (36)
Zabulon Skipper (54) *17 last year
Dun Skipper (3) CRL

1072 adult butterflies total.

Thanks to Brian Bockhahn, Will Cook, Sharon Funderburk, Tom Krakauer, Harry LeGrand, Jim Nottke and Toni Rexrode for all your hard work.

Randy Emmitt
Rougemont, NC
birdcr@concentric.net

Southern Cloudywing, Thorybes bathyllus on Zinnia from Hilda's garden.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus typical yellow female on New York Ironweed.
Zabulon Skipper, Poanes zabulon female see one of these being eaten by a Eastern Pondhawk dragonfly that Will took during the count.