Folks,
On Sunday, June 17, six of us (*) carried out the postponed Surry County Count under clear skies, with light breezes, and moderate temperatures. But much of the count circle was suffering from drought and numbers were down from last year. BUT, even in a drought year, one can find new species in a well-studied area. Two weeks ago we found 2 American Coppers after 8 years of counting in Iredell County.
On Sunday, we added three species to the Surry County record, after adding 8 species last year. In 2006 3.9% of the butterflies that we found belonged to species previously unreported for the county - in 2007 7.2% of the butterflies we found belonged to previously unreported species!
In addition we found 3 Northern Water Snakes, an Eastern Box Turtle, and a large number of toads, along with assorted dragonflies and birds.
1 Pipevine Swallowtail
3 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
1 Spicebush Swallowtail
7 Cabbage White
1 Clouded Sulphur
2 Orange Sulphur
1 albino colias spp
1 Coral Hairstreak new county record
16 Eastern Tailed Blue
5 Azure
9 Great Spangled Fritillary
1 Variegated Fritillary
7 Pearl Crescent
1 American Lady
3 Common Buckeye
1 Northern Pearly-Eye
2 Carolina Satyr
4 Little Wood Satyr
3 Silver-Spotted Skipper
3 Hoary Edge new county record
2 Southern Cloudywing
6 Horaces Duskywing
1 Tawny Edged Skipper
2 Dun Skipper new county record
23 species
83 butterflies
* Charlie Cameron, Gregg Morris, Jim Nottke, Elizabeth Riggs, Gene Schepker, Lois Schneider
Jim Nottke
Pfafftown, NC
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