The Butterfly Park - What's Flying? (June 29, 2012)

The weather over the past week has been great for finding butterflies at the . Many of the flowers are in full bloom and are like magnets to the butterflies. Of course there is so much more to come, but for anyone interested in butterflies, this is what we've been waiting for. The Butterfly bushes are also beginning to flower and not only smell like perfume but are irresistible to all kinds of butterflies and other insects. The milkweed stands throughout the park are now in full bloom and are also a magnet for insects. 

Over the weekend I took a walk at the park to see what was flying around and found my friend and fellow National Moth Week Team Member, Elena Tartaglia doing the same thing. She was in classic field biologist attire of yellow rubber boots and shorts and a camera strung around her neck. Elena is a PhD candidate at Rutgers and is working on finishing her dissertation. Her research focuses on moths of the family Sphingidae, which are large, pollinating moths commonly called hawkmoths. She has studied various aspects of nocturnal hawkmoth ecology and behavior such as their abundance and diversity in fragmented urban systems, their nectar diets, and their role as pollinators in the urban landscape of the NJ-NY metropolitan area. She also studies day-flying hawkmoths, commonly called clearwing moths. Since these moths are mimics of bumblebees, she has been comparing their nectar feeding behaviors to the bees that they mimic and the nocturnal moths to which they are related. If you are at the Butterfly Park or one of our local moth nights and see her, say hello and ask her about hawkmoths. These are amazing moths and you won't find anyone more interested or qualified to talk to about them. 

Amazingly, the East Brunswick Butterfly Park turns 10 this year! Kudos to all the volunteers that have helped make this park so special. Despite its small size and location in a heavily developed area, the park provides lots of opportunities to find a wide variety of butterflies throughout the spring, summer and fall. It just takes a little looking.

Throughout the years, dozens of species of butterflies have been seen in the park. The Friends has developed an Online Field Guide to them that has photographs, ecological notes and tips on how to tell butterflies apart that look similar. The park also has a Facebook page so that everyone can share what they find at the park.

While the Butterfly Park is too small to have much in the way of rarities or butterflies of special habitats, it offers a convenient respite and an opportunity to find many common species right in the middle of 50,000 people. And since "butterflying" is a lot like a treasure hunt, you just never know what you might find even in a small place like the East Brunswick Butterfly Park.

Each year we try to do something new with the Park. This year, with the help of the Patch, we are posting what is being seen at the Park each week. We can't always get there ourselves to see what is flying, so please share your observations and photos with us either on the Facebook page or at friends.ebec@gmail.com.

So, what's flying now? Like the past few weeks, this week was also great at the Butterfly Park with lots of species on the wing. Virtually all of the species that were flying last week continue to be found at the Butterfly Park. Little wood satyrs are flying in the thicker grasses near the wood's edge, Silver-spotted skippers are flitting around all over the place, Summer azures are still being seen, Cabbage whites are everywhere and Question marks are still common. But with each passing day, new species are also taking to the wing.

This week quite a few butterflies were found for the first time this year including monarchs, Wood nymphs, Painted Ladies, and the Wild Indigo duskywing. Look for the monarchs on the butterfly bushes and the milkweed stands and the others on the white Lizard's tail and just about any other flowering plants. The Wood nymphs are really beautiful with rich brown wings and a yellow spot. We don't have a large population at the park and they don't often settle down. They also prefer the more scrubby areas where it can be difficult to follow them or to take a photo. But if you are lucky to see one, try and get a good look. I promise you will love this butterfly! I was lucky to see one quietly nectaring in a little hidden spot on the Lizard's tail and to get a photo before it took off into the shrubs. It isn't the greatest photo, but maybe that does this somewhat secretive butterfly justice, by not making it too easy to enjoy it's presence without a bit of a challenge.     

If you go to the park looking for butterflies, try and pick warm afternoons. Scan the meadows and walk the woodland trails and let us know what you find. Looking for butterflies is a lot like a treasure hunt. You never know what you might find. Not every butterfly will be evident or just flying around in plain sight. Finding butterflies takes a little practice, but once you begin to know what to look for you will be amazed at what is at the Park.