Huge Butterfly Movement in Southern Ontario

[Bluffs Birder]

If you haven't noticed them already, there's a huge movement of Red Admiral butterflies that started yesterday afternoon along the shore of Lake Erie and is moving northward.  They're flying in on the warm air that we're experiencing today in the region.  I've already counted 50+ in the backyard in less than 15 minutes.  Watch for a dark fast flying butterfly that has an orangy-red band of colour on it's upper wings.

(sample)


Walter

[Trillian Flummox]

Thanks for identifying these little beauties for me today! There seem to be dozens of them fluttering in and out of almost every maple tree on my street here in Riverdale. The school children were squealing with delight as they appear to "dance" on the wind through the school yard.  Ah Spring!

-kris

[Bird Brain]

Hi Walter.  Today was fantastic for butterfly sightings!  

This morning at Maplewood Park, 8:30 - 11am:

120+ Red Admirals, including one that landed on my jacket. These beauties are everywhere! Dozens were flying through the tunnel below Aquitaine Ave., connecting Lake Aquitaine and Maplewood Park. It was amazing to observe - have never seen anything like this before! They were also gathering on white flowers in apple trees?
10+ Cabbage Whites

11:30am - 1:00pm, Lake Wabukayne:

30+ Red Admirals
10+ Cabbage Whites
"mystery" butterfly, maybe a Question Mark ... Bob (rcflier) took photos! Will have to see these later for i.d.

[Reuven_M]

Tons in guelph too, only had about 45 minutes today to look, but I had 100+ red admiral, 8 question mark, 1 american lady along with eastern comma, mourning cloak and eastern comma. Some green darners too.

[gary yankech]

I was down at Rosetta today, instead of birds I saw more butterflies:

Red admiral
Eastern comma
Mourning cloak
and mostly like a cabbage white ( not 100%, off in the distance)

Gary Yankech

[Bluffs Birder]

Along with more than 250 Red Admirals, I was very surprised to find a male Black Swallowtail basking in the grasses this afternoon at Chine Meadow (now part of Bluffer's Park) in Scarborough.  This is the 2nd earliest sighting ever for this species in the Toronto region.  It follows yesterday's great find in the city's west-end by Bob Yukich.  This is clearly a result of climate change as these butterflies are arriving very early this year.

Black Swallowtail - 1
Cabbage White - 2
Question Mark - 2
Mourning Cloak - 1
Red Admiral - 250+

Black Swallowtail


Walter

[Bird Brain]

Absolutely gorgeous - what a great sighting!  

[Bluffs Birder]

The 'Movement' continues...

This afternoon I spent a couple of hours strolling the trails of Chine Meadow (Bluffer's Park) in Scarborough and found a good variety of butterflies including a few new arrivals since Tuesday:

Cabbage White - 5
Clouded Sulphur - 2
Spring Azure - 2
Question Mark - 20+
Eastern Comma - 3
American Lady - 6
Painted Lady - 1 (A record earliest sighting for Toronto and tied earliest record for Ontario!)
Red Admiral - 200+

Painted Lady


The Toronto Star article
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1163931--tidal-wave-of-butterflies-hits-eastern-canada

Walter

[Rob'in'To]

I've noticed lots of tiny orange and black ones this week.  Didn't think too much about them.  And someone is asking tonight what kind they are.  I'm at work, my guide is at home.  Anybody able to fire off the answer to this soon so I can tell them?

[Janet Tubb]

I've seen hundreds of Red Admirals, some Cabbage White and a few small yellow that might be Sulfers and something small orange/black too. All along the eastern GTA lakefront there are lots of bugs and butterflies.