8/7/25 - Rough Meadows, Rowley

[Paul Seaman]

I went to Rough Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary in Rowley this afternoon (8/7/25), where the fields around the parking lot/kestrel trail are filled a colorful wash of goldenrod and joe pye weed in full bloom. I was only there for around an hour, but there were a good number and diversity of butterflies and other insects on this sunny afternoon, including a very welcome surprise Red-Banded Hairstreak. 

Red-Banded Hairstreak 1x (pretty bad photo on goldenrod, but great views through binoculars: couldn't relocate after)
Spicebush Swallowtail 3x 
Black Swallowtail 1x 
Monarch 3x
Cabbage White 1x
Pearl Crescent 4x
Common Wood Nymph 1x
Clouded Sulphur 1x
Blue/Azure sp. 1x
Common Ringlet 2x

Viceroy 1x

+ 1 Snowberry Clearwing Moth