2026-05-27 Breakneck Hill Reservation, Southborough MA

[Peter Loshin]

I went to Breakneck Hill today, from 10:30 to 1:00. Conditions were decent, high 80s and not too much wind, but the sun was in and out at times. I saw:

1,000+ Little Wood Satyr

16 Silvery Blue

12 Sulphur (Orange and Clouded)

20 Common Ringlet

2 Cabbage White

3 Eastern Tailed-blue

1 Spicebush Swallowtail

1 Tiger Swallowtail (sp)

3 Pearl Crescent

1 Monarch

4 Baltimore Checkerspot caterpillars

The number of Little Wood Satyr was astonishing. Almost everywhere I walked on the property, there they were. I walked slowly at first, stopping every few steps which was just about how long it took to see another LWS. I'd see one, then three and then 7 or 8, or more.

I had to start counting by fives instead of ones before I'd gotten to the top of the hill from the parking area, and got up to 200 or more  (when I started to count by 25's) within the first 20 minutes or so. I kept counting for another hundred or so before I stopped counting, and after a while I had to try to filter them out when I saw other species flying.

The Monarch and swallowtails were fly-bys. The Silvery Blues were still pretty active and easy to spot among the Little Wood Satyrs.

Peter Loshin