This year we held the count on July 8, 2017.  We had beautiful weather, but not as many butterflies as in other years.  Click Here to see the results of the count.

We previewed the route the night before.   Mike and Ann and I walked up the hill – here are Mike and Ann at the Indian Grass Bench.

 

Bill and Leah arrived a little later, and rode the surrey up the hill.

 

It rained a bit, so we all rode – slightly wet – out to Big View Point.

 

We did some mothing that night.    The best sighting was a Promethea Moth.  Here we are, checking it out.

 

The Promethea – a dark female

 

A few more moths…

Laurel Sphinx

 

Sigmoid Prominent

 

Bog Lygropia

 

As usual, we found moths resting on Mike’s car.

A Leaf Blotch Miner Moth  (no common name).   Caloptilia umbratella or a closely related undescribed species.  These moths constantly twirl their antennae.  This was a new species for the farm.

 

Reticulated Fruitworm

 

Ann spotted a moth along the driveway which turned out to be a new species for the farm.

Currant Spanworm

 

And this is the tiny caterpillar of a Pug Moth – Eupithecia sp.

 

We saw a few robberflies – I think these are the correct names.

Efferia albibarbis on the driveway

 

Laphria divisor on the hill behind the house

 

Starting out on the count day.  Marcie, Pam, Mike, and Ann

 

The counting crew: Mike, Ann, Pam  (and I’m taking the photo)