This full Carolina Butterfly Society 2-day field trip will be held in coastal North Carolina where we plan on visiting several different locations. Our target butterfly species varies by location and are listed below. The leaders are Harry LeGrand and Lori Arent.
Saturday, September 6, 2025 – Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge – Meet at the small parking lot on the left side of Pamlico Road, about 200 yards from US 264, which is on the south side of the Dare County mainland (GPS coordinates 35.6132, -75.83282). Meet at 10:00 am. This is near the southern end of the large loop of US 264, about 7-8 miles south of Stumpy Point. Note that Pamlico Road is a single-track gravel road, and thus parking along the road is likely impossible; even parking along or very close to US 264 might be tricky or unfeasible.
Targets: Palatka, Aaron’s, Berry’s, Yehl, Dion, Broad-winged, Twin-spot, Tawny-edged, and Carolina Roadside skippers.
We will have lunch in the field. There are no restrooms here. Depending on our time and success, whether the roadsides have been mowed, whether coastal storms have damaged the vegetation and the road, etc., we MAY make a short drive to a different site in the afternoon, on the northern side of US 264. That site has a different set of flowers — more Mistflower instead of the dominant Bitter Sneezeweed at Pamlico Road. If the roadsides have not been mowed or otherwise impacted, the target species are about the same; there is a higher chance (but still iffy) of Berry’s Skipper here, but less chance for brackish marsh species like Aaron’s Skipper. Just before the end of the day, we plan a brief stop to check the Lantanas at the Roanoke Island Visitor Center.
Sunday, September 7, 2025 – Various sites on the Dare County Outer Banks in the Kill Devil Hills, Duck, and Southern Shores areas; and perhaps also including a long drive to central mainland Currituck County – Meet at the large parking lot of Lowe’s Home Improvement, in the corner closest to US 158 and West Landing Drive (GPS coordinates 36.02594, -75.66886), in Kill Devil Hills. Meet at 9:00 am. The turn off US 158, the main north-south highway on the Banks, is the first major road to the west after passing the Wright Brothers National Memorial if driving from the south. If driving from the north, Lowe’s is just before you reach the Memorial.
Targets: Dukes’ Skipper, Eastern Giant Swallowtail, Brazilian Skipper.
At the meeting place, we will need to review what uncommon/rare species have been recently seen in the area, as this information will determine where we visit. We hope to find Dukes’ Skipper in the Duck area, as a few were seen in late July or early August and have been seen there years ago as well. If missed there, some or many folks may want to make the rather long drive to central Currituck County, where a rather large colony of Dukes’ Skipper has been seen in September in the past few years. We expect to visit a few gardens and other plantings in the Duck area to search for the Giant Swallowtail and the rare and sporadic Brazilian Skipper, and other species.
Lunch will presumably be in the field, but as there are numerous fast-food restaurants along US 158, with restrooms. Details for Sunday afternoon are wide open and will be determined by the successes of the morning.
For lodging, most of you have hopefully already made motel/hotel reservations, as this trip was announced in late winter or early spring. Certainly, lodging on the Outer Banks, and less so at Manteo on Roanoke Island, is expensive in early September, and many or most of these may well be already booked completely.
As stated previously, Harry LeGrand and Lori Arent will lead. Either register on the CBS website (using the “Register” link above) or RSVP to Harry at hlegrandjr@gmail.com or Lori at ljarent1@gmail.com if you plan to participate. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.