[TN-Butterflies] Re: November update - Kentucky Manor (November 30, 2010)
- From: "Michael Lee Bierly" <mlbierly@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Tennessee Butterflies" <tn-butterflies@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:14:09 -0600
Since the last post, the following have been observed at the Manor.
Clouded Skipper. [Note: D = Digital]
November 28 (2,D) - In the Zinnia Garden, there are around 50 fair
to meddling zinnia blooms remaining (all zinnias have been covered nightly
when freezing temperatures though only 25% of the plants are still viable).
Once the plants were in the sun, I started watching them every 10-15
minutes for butterfly activity. At about 1:30 p.m. while standing at the
zinnias, a Clouded Skipper flew in from the west. Could not tell if it fed
but it seemed to hid quickly. It flew to another plant and got under the
flower though in the sun. Then up and flew off and didn't see where went. I
immediately went around to the other side of the driveway and the Arizona
Cypress where there are two verbenas in bloom, plants the Cloudeds have used
during the summer and recently. Yup, there it was feeding on Perfect Pink
Verbena. Most of the flowers were in the sun. It would feed and then fly a
short distance and land on a plant leaf or in the path and sun. Then would
come back to the flowers. The right forewing had a vertical tear in it with
some white showing. When it was seen with closed or nearly so closed wings,
large amounts of gray could be seen, consistent with an individual on the
22nd and previous though that one did not have a tear in the wing, at least
then. After a few minutes of this pattern going back and forth to feed and
sun, my eye caught movement on my right. There sitting on the side of a
plant label was another Clouded Skipper sunning. Shortly, it too moved to
the verbenas and went back and forth feeding and sunning. Once both were
seen feeding on the same flower stalk! After about 45 minutes of watching, I
left them to feed as long as they could. Shadows were starting to shade some
of the flowers. Even though the zinnias were in the sun for a couple more
hours and were checked frequently, no other butterfly activity was noted on
them. Even though the official temperature this morning was 26 F, lowest so
far this winter and there have been other freezing days, there are still
micro areas at the Manor where pieces of tender plants still are
viable--like impatiens, pineapple sage. Nine species of plants at the Manor
are still in bloom though some with limited flowers. In addition, in bloom
in the yard to the west are violets and dandelions. Cherry Tomatoes in good
condition and ripe were harvested today from under the leaves where they had
fallen (plants are gone). There were two Clouded Skippers on November 20 and
22, one of which looked the same but without the right wing tear. The one
with the wing tear just had to be the same one as it knew exactly where the
verbenas were. You cannot see the verbenas from the zinnias and it was on
those flowers within seconds of leaving the zinnias.
http://mlbierly.smugmug.com/Butterflies-2010/Skippers-Grass-Skippers/Clouded
-Skipper/13062346_PoFQ4#1107799592_zZWXy-L-LB.
November 29 (1,D) - When the window of butterfly activity appeared
mid-morning, clouds came over and closed it completely. It looked like it
was over for the day, but early afternoon a very small window opened with
off and on sun AND A CLOUDED SKIPPER. It sunned itself on the wall at the
edge of the Street Garden and then up and flew. Lost it, but I went directly
to the verbena and, guess what, it beat me to it, feeding all over the
remaining flowers. Shortly it left. The weather immediately closed in and I
had to be off to take a friend to the doctor. Thanks to the skipper for
making my day!
http://mlbierly.smugmug.com/Butterflies-2010/Skippers-Grass-Skippers/Clouded
-Skipper/13062346_PoFQ4#1109189102_FLKUp-A-LB.
The last date for the Clouded Skipper at Kentucky Manor in 2009 was November
28.
The attachment is a summary of sightings for November 2010 at Kentucky
Manor. There have been 17 species seen in November. Click on the red numbers
for image links. Kentucky Manor is a urban residence, 57'x150' (0.19 acre),
located in West Nashville.
As an aside, I find it disturbing the inaccuracies of the range map of the
Clouded Skipper in Glassberg's and Kaufman's guides (and there are others).
In Glassberg's (plate 64), the range is only in the lower half of the state
(not Nashville) and in Kaufman's guide (page 308) the range map show the
species barely reaching the southern edge of the state though in the text it
states that it may wander. I don't consider 91 dates in 2009 and 70 dates in
2010 at the Manor wandering. It has been recorded in 65 out of 95 counties
(68.4%) in Tennessee according to BAMONA. I don't buy that this is new
information since publications. And they are allowed to continue to sell
these guides. Also, Glassberg refers to the species as an irregular
immigrant or RS (can't figure that one out) north... This immigrant status I
assume means outside of his mapped area. So, is the Clouded Skipper in
Tennessee considered a resident or an immigrant? I have thought it as a
resident.
Michael Lee Bierly, Nashville, Davidson County, TN
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