58 degrees. Sunshine. With a polar vortex predicted for later this week, I did not take the warm temperature for granted and totally enjoyed my lunch break outdoors. I wanted to walk past the dam at Hopkinton State Park to the lower, drained beach to see what birds might be around. On may way I was so surprised to find
butterflies! There were three sulphurs weakly flying around a patch of clover near the dam.
Orange Sulphur
Killdeer
Great Blue Heron
Clouded Sulphur
Clouded Sulphur (white form)
When I walked back to the parking lot, a flock of Dark-Eyed Juncos (snowbirds) led the way, flying from tree to tree ahead of me.
Dark-Eyed Junco
Will they overwinter?
ReplyDeleteNot in butterfly form. The Orange Sulphur overwinters as 3rd or 4th instar caterpillar. The Clouded Sulphur as 3rd instar caterpillar. These individuals are doomed.
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