Biodiversity at Albright Scout Reservation's Journal

August 22, 2022

Monarch Migration has started

Friends have noted that adult Monarch sightings have increased dramatically in Richmond and Chesterfield County within the last week. Saturday, August 20, 2022 Monarchs were observed in the front part of the front pasture when I entered the area about 2PM. They were flying around, not spending any time nectaring or laying eggs. It appeared that there were likely males hunting for females to mate with. One connected pair were observed heading to the trees on the east side of the field near the rabbitats to roost. After following single Monarchs around the pasture in an attempt to net one I decided to try a different approach.
I located myself near a large patch of blue mist near the milk weed patch Note I was wearing a solid color, light green shirt and an orange hat. As long as I stood still the Monarchs ignored my presence - perhaps I looked like a large Butterfly Weed bush. I noted that single Monarchs would approach a new Monarch as it approached the Blue Mist and the two would circle each other in a spiral and in some cases the vertical spiral would elongate horizontally as it headed toward the roosting trees and disappear into the trees. In one case one of the Monarchs broke off as they approached the trees and returned to the Blue Mist patch disappearing into the plants. I finally found a single, short Butterfly Weed that was in bloom with the Monarch in the process of nectaring on it. I netting it and tagged it - a female. I observed a second pair that followed the same sequence, netting the one that returned to the same Butterfly Weed bush among the Blue Mist. Again it was a female which I tagged. I brought both of the tagged females back to the area where they had been netted to release them. After tagging the two females between 3:30 PM and 4:00PM I returned to other activities.

Posted on August 22, 2022 02:49 AM by asr_tom_mckee asr_tom_mckee | 0 comments | Leave a comment

October 12, 2021

Late season Monarch observation coincident

It has been over2weeks since I have observed a wild Monarch Butterfly at Albright Scout Reservation other than the ones I have been tagging and releasing from our captured Instars that emerged from their chrysalis in our terrariums. I decided to have one last look for Monarch eggs and Instars on our remaining common milkweed in a low, moist Riparian Reforestation area. I found no eggs or Instars however I did find a tagged wing fragment ACUA816 from a female Monarch which I had released on 10-7-2021. I photographed it and as I was leaving the area I was greeted by a lone Monarch Butterfly heading for the milkweed, Blue Mist and Boneset field area. I grabbed my net from my truck and followed the Monarch until it landed to nectar and tagged it. It was a wild female Monarch now tagged ACUA820 on 10-12-2021 at 1:38 PM EST.

Posted on October 12, 2021 07:40 PM by asr_tom_mckee asr_tom_mckee | 0 comments | Leave a comment

July 5, 2020

500 observations

It is a special day! We completed 500 species at ASR. 500th species was Snowberry Clearwing
(Hemaris diffinis), a wasp/bee mimicking moth. Additionally, we got a Mississippi Kite in the property- a life bird for me. Mississippi kites are a rare sight in Virginia, but their breeding range is expanding north.
In deed, it was a great day of exploration.

Posted on July 5, 2020 06:28 PM by sujan040 sujan040 | 2 comments | Leave a comment

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