Magnusson Farm in Kingston -23 species including VARIEGATED FRITILLARY!

[Steve Mirick]

Jane and I visited the huge expansive pastures and fields at the
Magnisson Farm in Kingston.  Magnusson Farm is a 101‑acre parcel with a
mix of meadow, pond, forest‑edge, and wetland habitats. The property is
being conserved through a partnership between the Town of Kingston and
the Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire (SELT).

This big area is quickly becoming one of my favorite butterfly spots in
New Hampshire!!!

To get there, park along Farm Road (don't go to the Farm on Rt. 125) and
there is a crude parking spot for 2 cars or so.  Then walk out the mowed
paths in the fields.

42.957632963645985, -71.04582256834207

https://maps.app.goo.gl/6pX5ZnhgFosFLDhu7

At this date, there is LOADS of spotted knapweed in flower (for better
and worse), plus a wide variety of other field flowers and tons of
butterflies.

Totals in about 3 hours of wandering the fields
--------------------------------------------------------------
Crescent - 156.  Huge numbers!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/384403022
Wild Indigo Duskywing - 46.  Big number!  They seemed to me to be
relatively scarce this year, but plenty here.  There are some random
patches of crown vetch.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/384403045
Common Wood-Nymph - 43
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/384403059
Orange Sulphur - 19
Silver-bordered Fritillary - 14
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/384403048
Clouded Sulphur - 10
Eastern Tailed Blue - 8
Viceroy - 8
Dun Skipper - 6
Black Swallowtail - 4
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/384403041
Northern Broken Dash - 4
Monarch - 4
Great Spangled Fritillary - 3
MULBERRY WING - 3 from 2 widely separate locations.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/384403032
Silver-spotted Skipper - 2
Cabbage White - 2
American Copper - 2
APHRODITE FRITILLARY - 1.  A species that Jane and I (very) rarely
encounter....they seem to be scarce in southeastern NH.  We saw that Evy
Nathan had seen one out here so we were very happy to get some nice
studies of one:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/384403049
VARIEGATED FRITILLARY - 1.  The star of the day!  Our first NH record in
last 4 years and a somewhat unusual date.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/384403029
American Lady - 1
Anglewing sp. - 1 Eastern Comma/Question Mark.  Unfortunately, no
photo.  Dark morph.
Broad-winged Skipper - 1.  There's a couple of small patches of
phragmites with small amounts of loosestrife.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/384403023
Azure sp. - 1

A total list of butterfly sightings submitted to iNaturalist:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2026-07-23&taxon_id=47224&user_id=stevemirick&verifiable=any

Steve & Jane Mirick
Bradford, MA

[George DeWolf]

Wow, Steve! What a massive haul from a single site. If we kept records for the greatest number of butterfly species observed at one location on a single day, this would have to be in the running for a state record. You and Jane are a tour de force when it comes to nature observations. 

I hope to visit Magnusson Farm sometime. If you have access to a good map of the property, I'd be happy to look into defining it as a place on iNaturalist so we can track butterfly observations within its boundaries.

George DeWolf

Wentworth, NH

[Evy Nathan]

We were there yesterday again. I'm so glad you and Jane went, and glad you also saw a variegated frit.  I looked my old sighting up, it was on  September 28, 2021. I had thought it was longer ago. Crescent numbers yesterday were enormous. Uncountable. Unfortunately my photo wasn't in focus, but there was one clump of black eyed Susan with 3 or 4 on each blossom, maybe 18 on on that one clump. We saw about the same ratio of species that you did, but more viceroys and monarchs. I'd like to be able to recognize a broad winged skipper. Wonder what other species will show up as we begin to control invasives there and plant the "right" species of host plants. FYI, they were mowing paths there yesterday, hope that's all they mowed. Did you notice the flock of bobolinks? (we counted around 30) They're talking hold there too now that it's no longer a corn field.

Evy

[amy highstrom]

Would love to see a complete plant inventory with ratios on that site to understand at baseline what is successful there already.   

Amy  

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