MBC Field Trip to Appleton Farms

I didn't get to many field trips this year, but this was one of the best of 2015!  It comes close to the Allens Pond Butterfly Census, where I saw my first Red-Banded Hairstreak.  I don't know why I enjoyed today so much:  it was a lovely combination of great weather, pretty asters, beautiful butterflies, and friendly people.  How can you go wrong?

Our group

Bronze Coppers and Silver-Bordered Fritillaries were the target butterfly species, and we saw them within minutes of beginning our walk.  Several of us checked these locations again before we left!! Yes, it is an addiction.

 Bronze Copper

Silver-Bordered Fritillary

Pearl Crescent

Banded Garden Spider wrapping up some prey

Silver-Bordered Fritillary

Not wanting to double back to get out of the meadow we were in, and given the dry summer we've had, we followed the leader across the deep drainage ditch.  I guess you had to be there, but it was pretty funny watching everyone make their way across (for butterflies)!

Monarch

Clouded Sulphur

Silver-Bordered Fritillary

mating dragonflies

crazy Praying Mantis

 Chickweed Geometer Moth

 Many of the dirt roads on the farm are tree-lined and just beautiful!

Common Green Darner

 Great Blue Heron, a Green-Winged Teal and Mallards

 We stopped to check out a native Liatris bed that the TTOR is trying to get going.

 Peck's Skipper

 Common Ringlet

Dingy Cutworm Moth
(Seriously?  It's beautiful!)

 Canadian Burnet (native) and Goldenrod

 Gray Hairstreak

There are some impressive trees on this TTOR property.  I love this one.

another look at the ducks

And back to the beginning for more looks at the Bronze Copper: