Dorchester Co 9/5-9/6

[Jeff Cagle]

Hi all,

Colleen and I hit up Blackwater NWR as well as Decoursey, Ravenwood, New Bridge, and Cut Steel Roads on 9/5.  The Buttonbush was 95% spent and no Aaron's were seen - yet.  Colleen's big find was a pair of Great Purple Hairstreaks in pristine condition (right next to a Chinese Mantis chowing down on an Eastern Tiger...).  Thanks, Rick, for the recommendations.

Species totals

Colias sp (looked like Clouded)  1

Sleepy Orange                              25

Cabbage White                              1

Eastern Tailed-Blue                     18

Summer Azure                               3

Gray HS                                           1

Great Purple HS                             2

Red-Banded HS                             2

Spicebush ST                                 1

Eastern Tiger ST                          11

Black ST    (FOY?!)                         1

Pearl Crescent                              36

Monarch                                          7

Common Buckeye                        26

American Lady                               2

Red-Spotted Purple                       1

Common Wood Nymph                1

Horace's Duskywing                      2

Silver-Spotted Skipper                55

Sachem                                           3

Ocola Skipper                                 1

Least Skipper                                 3

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White-Lined Sphinx                       1

The next day 9/6, Coll and I kayaked in the vicinity of Middle and Lower (submerged!) Hooper's Island.  We were there by permission, as the area is privately owned.  A peninsula had a surprise crop of Bull Thistle that pulled in skippers by the dozens.  The first one that met my eye was a fresh Longtail Skipper.  And all I had was my phone - your best camera is the one you have with you! 

There were a ton of Broad-winged Skippers here, and one that looked Aaron-sy to me, but not so much that I am fully confident.  Link below, thoughts welcome.

Monarch                                           1

Common Buckeye                          1

Longtail Skipper                            1

Fiery Skipper                                  4

Sachem                                         10+  hard to count

Broad-winged Skipper                 10+ ditto

AARON'S SKIPPER                         1?  See link

Delaware Skipper                         ~8

Saltmarsh Skipper                       ~5

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?d1=2025-09-05&d2=2025-09-07&subview=map&taxon_id=47157&user_id=jrcagle&verifiable=any

[Rick Borchelt]

Looks very good for Aaron's to me (and more importantly, to Tom Stock 😉)

These September records for both Aaron's and Delaware are likely late dates for the MBP database ...

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Rick Borchelt
College Park, MD
preferred personal email:  rborchelt |AT| gmail |DOT| com

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