Dear Alan et al:

You may recall an earlier report of a pipevine swallowtail by birder Craig McLauchlan near his parent's home at Port Hope. I believe it was an August sighting.

At the most recent T.E.A. meeting, Tony Holmes informed me that he had been called over to a Port Hope residence, and there he identified a pipevine swallowtail pupa. Apparently there had been 2 larva.

Don Davis
toronto, ON

Hi Gord:
We have had Fiery Skipper at our home in Port Ryerse--a small village just west of Port Dover along Lake Erie; overlooking Long Point Bay. We saw one individual on August 30, and another on September 4.

Fiery Skipper is an uncommon late-summer visitor to this part of Ontario.

--Chauncey Wood
cwood@kwic.com

Variegated Fritillary 2 km. north of Orillia on Uhthoff Trail on Sept. 3, 2001. First time I have seen this species in Simcoe but there are older records. Ten other species today but no Monarchs, most have left.

Jim Goltz reports 3 Common Buckeyes on Beausoliel Island on Aug. 31, 2001.

Bob Bowles
bowles@bconnex.net

Hi Gord I have jist bin in formed that a Pipe vine swallowtail was seen in Port Hope at my parents house on Tuesday and Wensday of this past week !! this dos not surprise me my parents have Duchmans pipe that is over 40 years old ..... is their some one that I should report this to ??? I am sheer that this wood be a northern record ??

Craig McLauchlan
csam@sympatico.ca

Earlier this year we had heaps of Red Admiral and American Lady butterflies. This week I was out for four hours. I saw no Red Admirals, 1 very worn American Lady, (tattered wings and faded colouring), but everywhere I looked there were Painted Ladies. I counted 250 before I got tired. Altogether I saw 15 species from Giant Swallowtail to tiny Azure in size.

Ann  White
London Ontario Canada
dwhite@odyssey.on.ca

Tonight (Friday) on the Toronto Rare Bird Hotline, Hugh Currie reports that on Wednesday, a pipevine swallowtail was sighted, and the day before, a spicebush butterfly (swallowtail?) was also seen - both sightings just west of the hawk watch area north of the Grenadier Restaurant.

Don Davis
Toronto, ON
Donald_Davis@stu.wdw.utoronto.ca

These moths have also been seen in:
 Atikokan (lots) (Dave Elder), 
Fort Frances (John Vandenbroeck), 
Memory Road on Lake Superior near the US border (Sharon Illingworth), 
Ignace (Barb McMullen), and 
Rosslyn near Thunder Bay. 

The Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal is even doing a story on them! 

Nick Escott
133 South Hill Street
Thunder Bay Ontario P7B 3T9  Canada
ngescott@home.com
(807) 345-7122

The birding has been uneventful but there have been 2 interesting lepidopteran invasions. Several people have noticed hummingbird-like sphinx moths over the past week nectaring at various flowers during daylight hours. Those that have been identified have all been the White-lined Sphinx (Hyles lineata) a more southern species that is not often found this far north. They have been reported from Thunder Bay, MacKenzie, Schrieber and Manitouwadge and are probably throughout our area.

An unusual butterfly has been found at Thunder Bay and Kakabeka Falls over the past 2 weeks or so - the Checkered White (Pontia protodice), another stray from the south. It looks a lot like a Cabbage Butterfly but has more black markings.

A male Northern Cardinal appeared today at Memory Road, on Lake Superior near the US border (Sharon Illingworth), and the male is still being seen occasionally on Farrand Street in Thunder Bay (John Walas).

The Thunder Bay Field Naturalists web site has a new address:
http://tbfn.org or http://www.tbfn.org

Nick Escott
133 South Hill Street
Thunder Bay Ontario P7B 3T9  Canada
ngescott@home.com
(807) 345-7122

We saw our first Monarch Butterfly of the season today, May 31, at Browning Island, Lake Muskoka (near Bracebridge). It was feeding on some freshly opened Chive blossoms. Last year we didn't see a Monarch until June 10. A few Red Admirals and Tiger Swallowtails were also seen but they have been around for a while already.

Barbara Taylor
muskoka_birder@hotmail.com

It is interesting that northern Ontario seems to be seeing more than its fair share of monarchs! Alan Wormington is a well known expert birder and butterfly person, working out of Point Pelee National Park.

Don Davis
Toronto, ON
donald.davis@utoronto.ca
On Sat, 26 May 2001, Alan Wormington wrote:

This week I saw the following Monarchs:
 
May 22 -- one at Michipicoten Harbour, Algoma District (just S of Wawa)
May 23 -- two at Pancake Bay (Lake Superior Prov. Park)
May 24 -- three at St. Joseph's Island (E of Sault Ste. Marie)
 
Alan

Rainy week kept the butterflies down, but we got some sun on 
Saturday. The sun seemed to bring out a few new emergences, but 
there are few roadside flowers in bloom yet.

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail - literally dozens at some puddling sites
Red Admiral - #s seem to be down from last week
American Lady - still very common
Painted Lady - 2
Juvenals Duskywing - plentiful, feeding on Bog Heath in some 
places
Dreamy Duskywing - about 1 for every 2 Juvenals
Arctic Skipper - 1
Hobomok Skipper - plentiful in low, wet roadsides
Cryxhus Arctic - plentiful in areas with Caribou moss
Mustard White
Cabbage White
Common Sulphur - plentiful in grassy fields
Spring Azure
Silvery Blue - early record
Henry's Elfin
Brown Elfin


Thom Lambert 
singingdog@halhinet.on.ca
Haliburton, ON

Ellen/Butterfly Watchers,

I have seen 5 Monarchs at Pelee/Essex County in the
past week.
I was surprised after hearing about the 22 Million 
killoff in Mexico.

Fred Urie
Windsor
fredurie@yahoo.com

Gord,

Butterflies for this past week, all seen in Haliburton County

Red Admiral - large numbers, especially in areas with dandelions
Painted Lady - about 1 for every 10 American Ladies
American Lady - large numbers
Spring Azure - common, but not in large #s
Brown Elfin (2)
Henry's Elfin (2) - new record for the county!
Pine Elfin sp. 
Juvenals Duskywing - large numbers
Dreamy Duskywing - 1 for every 2 Juvenals
Mourning Cloak 
Canadian Tiger Swallowtail - small #s but increasing
Monarch (1) 


Thom Lambert 
singingdog@halhinet.on.ca
Haliburton, ON

A quick walk on the southern footpath off of Halls Road revealed 20-30 American Lady butterflies. There was also about a half a dozen Red Admirals as well.

Gord Gallant
gord@web-nat.com

BUTTERFLIES:
Species seen for the first time this season include the following:
May 2 -- Eastern Tiger-Swallowtail and Monarch.
May 6 -- Early Crescent and Eastern Tailed-Blue.

Alan Wormington, John Haselmayer, and Phil Roberts

Staff, Friends of Point Pelee
Forwarded by Don Davis donald.davis@utoronto.ca

Subject: London (Ontario) butterflies

Forwarded from ONTBIRDS: by Don Davis donald.davis@utoronto.ca

Like most of Southern Ontario we have been seeing a staggering number of Red Admiral butterflies. They are everywhere! I saw 60-70 on April 25 in less than 2 hours. Other species this week include Brown Elfin, (Sifton bog), Spring Azure, Cabbage White, Mourning cloak, American Lady, and Milbert's.

Ann White
London Ontario Canada
dwhite@odyssey.on.ca

From ONTBIRDS: Don Davis donald.davis@utoronto.ca

Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2001 01:01:06
From: dave milsom milsomdave@hotmail.com
To: ontbirds@hwcn.org
Subject: OFO TRIP-Minesing Swamp-April 29

On a gorgeous Spring day, 29 OFO participants headed for the new location of Minesing Swamp, a 50 square kms. of swamp, fen, boreal and carolinean forest, willow carr and bottomlands, lying inbetween the towns of Barrie and Angus. Because so much of this Ramsar site is inaccessible without a canoe, we drove to as many peripheral sections as possible.
........bird sightings omitted

We also saw a River Otter, Porcupine, Garter Snake, Green, Leopard and Wood frogs, Green Darner Dragonflies; Spring Azure, Mourning Cloak, Comma, Painted Lady and Red Admiral butterflies. Early flowers included marsh marigold, skunk cabbage, trout lily and coltsfoot.

To reach this area, drive west on #90 from Highway 400 at Barrie, or east from the town of Angus. Drive to the northern end of Mackinnon, Vespra Concessions 12 and 13, to the Rail-trail west of Co. Rd. 28 (George Johnston Rd), and to the western end of Jodrup from the village of Minesing.

Dave Milsom
milsomdave@hotmail.com

After finding the Pine and Yellow-Rumped Warblers along the road on the west side in Thickson's Woods in Whitby, several of us birders wandered through the woods. On the ridge path in the center of the woods there is an old tree that had cracked/split recently and was leaking sap. That attracted a number of insects, including Mourning Cloak and Eastern Comma Butterflies. Also in the woods was a Red Admiral.

Later in the day, after getting some things done around the house, I relaxed for a few minutes in the back yard (Morningside and Sheppard area) in Scarborough. We were treated to a possible Eastern Comma and a definite Mourning Cloak. Both of those butterflies are attracted to the several Chinese Elms that are taking over our back yard. The trees are also great for birds. The trees also grow very quickly, if you are interested in purchasing one for your yard.

Spring is finally here, and I was very pleased to make the effort to get out and enjoy it. It was also nice to see some familiar faces. Take care everyone!

Gord Gallant
gord@web-nat.com

For Saturday, April 21st:


BUTTERFLIES:  Temperatures were cold most of the week. The few butterflies
that were seen included American Painted-Lady, Red Admiral, Cabbage White,
Spring Azure, Eastern Comma, and Mourning Cloak.
A Gray Comma was the first April record for Point Pelee.

Fred Urie,
Friends of Point Pelee

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

April 15 on the Dolman Ridge Trails (Trail 51) in Mer Bleue Conservation area we saw about a dozen Mourning Cloaks in beautiful condition sunning themselves and patrolling the trails. As a bonus we also saw 3 Milbert's Tortoise Shells. On Trail 52 we spotted 3 Mourning Cloaks.

April 16 on Borthwick Ridge (Trail 53) Mer Bleue Conservation Area we saw 4 Mourning Cloaks and 1 Milbert's Tortoise Shell.

Rosemary Jorna Ottawa
sid5049@home.com

Alan and Gord,
I had a Red Admiral at Bull's Point, Coote's Trail at Hamilton on Sunday. Temperatures were 75 to 78 *F. in the G.T.A.

Fred Urie
Oakville
fredurie@yahoo.com

Hi Gord,

After a long winter it is nice to finally see that spring is here. We had a Compton Tortoiseshell on April 4th near Rock Lake Campground in Algonquin Park. On April 5th, while ice fishing on Lake of Bays near Dwight, a Mourning Cloak flew by!

Rick Stronks
Algonquin Park
rick.stronks@mnr.gov.on.ca

Hi Gord,
We are now seeing butterflies since spring has finally sprung. At Rondeau we spotted Mourning Cloak, Eastern Comma, and a very fresh Red Admiral on Harrison Trail. The Admiral was so vibrant, we thought it was another species! We will be looking again this coming weekend.

Blake Mann,
Wallaceburg,
Chatham-Kent, Ont.
email: boatmann@kent.net

I have been working at the Trent University Ecological Research 
station just outside of Bobcaygeon for the past few days. Both I 
and one of the resident PhD students  have seen a Comptons 
Tortoiseshell flying and at rest.


Thom Lambert
singingdog@halhinet.on.ca
705/457-9110
RR2, Haliburton ON
K0M1S0

Gord,
A couple of good days, with sunny skies and 
temperatures around 12-13 *C.
I walked for 6 hours on April 4 along Munn's 
Creek, 16 Mile Heritage Trails and Morrison Creek.
On April 5, I covered Sheridan Valley Park, 
Iroquois Shoreline Woods, etc in Oakville.

The total 2 day count was:
Mourning Cloak 62
E.Comma 28
Compton's Tortoiseshell 1

I found 33 Mourning Cloaks along 16 Mile Creek 
between Dundas and Upper Middle Road. If you 
projected this along the entire creek to its
source, the numbers must be staggering.

Good butterfly hunting,
Fred Urie
Oakville
fredurie@yahoo.com

Gord,

Temperatures were around 8*-10* C. In the warmer pockets along Morrison Creek in Oakville on March 22, I found 5 Mourning Cloaks and 1 E. Comma.

On March 23, I saw a Mourning Cloak near Bronte Harbour, an E. Comma at Shell Park, and an E. Comma at the sewage treatment plant across from Centennial Park.

Good butterfly hunting,

Fred Urie
Oakvile
fredurie@yahoo.com