Red Admiral

[Brian Bailey]

I had a Red Admiral in my yard this afternoon.  I saw a sulphur earlier in the week, but this is the first of the larger butterflies I've seen this year.

BB

[Bird Brain]

Brian ... very nice.  

Back on April 5th, I saw a Red Admiral at Lake Aquitaine and today saw 2 Mourning Cloak here at Lake A. as well.   The two today were being harassed by a bee!  :x

Jo-Anne

[angelicque]

tons of mourning cloaks and compton tortoiseshells were spotted at humber aboretum, as well as some silvery blues, mustard whites & orange sulphurs at tommy thompson park last week-end! only mourning cloaks so far by the western lakeshore parks.

[Bird Brain]

Angelicque ... great to know!   Nice list.

I haven't been to the Humber Arboretum since 1983 ... imagine it's changed a bit since then.   :lol:

Hoping to see a Black Swallowtail again this year (saw one last year at Lake Aquitaine).  What a beauty!  

Jo-Anne  

[Tommy]

It's too early for Silvery Blues. their flight season is not until middle to late May. It must be Spring Azure you saw!  
Also there are lots of Cabbage White flying right now. First flight Mustard Whites are not common and will have the dark-veins in the ventral hindwing and are only found in wooded area.

First flight of the Black Swallowtails is a couple of weeks away but the first flight are harder to find. Wait until the Mid-July broods which are more abundant.   :wink:

[Anonymous]

Thought I'd add some colour to this thread - from Centre Island today.

[Craig McL]

Hi angelicque I think you might want to reelook at the mustard whites you saw out on the spit .... :shock:

there range is north of the GTA I have heard of only 1 other sighting on the bass lands but that is in question ..

just so you know though there have bin 55 species seen out there and some rely good ones to !! like Cloudless Sulphur ,
Sachem skipper ( not by me   ! ) Grey Comma and Giant Swallowtail !!! to name a few ... But also always look out for the Harvester witch is a nice looking butterfly there have bin 2 small community one on the bass and one father out in the past !!

thanks for the update I going out on the next sunny hot day !!  

Craig

[Bluffs Birder]

Good information Craig, thanks for sharing.

Over the past two weeks or so I've observed the following butterflies along the top of the Scarborough Bluffs from the Bellamy Ravine to Rosetta McClain Gardens.

Cabbage White
Spring Azure
Eastern Comma
Compton's Tortoiseshell
Mourning Cloak
American Lady

Walter