wschenck's Favorites

Long-awaited, and the setting could not have been more pastoral than my most poetic fantasies. 4-5 individuals feeding on the fragrant flesh of crushed, fermenting apples on the dirt track betwixt the orchard and the forest. Two fought viciously in the dirt: the loser left with a bent wing, unable to fly. Large, beautiful, colorful, aggressive, awe-inspiring.

First Connecticut record since 2017 (DeGenarro) at the same site.

On the margins of an Atlantic White Cedar swamp in an open grassy area, nectaring on Black Cherry in the company of Eastern Pine and Brown Elfin.

As Eastern Redcedar was present at this site we were very cautious to confirm the ID as Hessel’s. We primarily focused on the streaking, incl. 1) the white dash at the very top, which is not set out in Juniper, 2) the prominent white forewing spot, 3) the lowest white crescent bent in the same direction as the one above it (opposite in Juniper). Note also the blue-green hue and the overall greater presence of brown.

If you will it, it is no dream.

My friend was walking and came upon this 4 ft Black Rat Snake coiled around a juvenile Broad-Wing Hawk. The Hawk was unconscious. He and his wife picked up the duo with a towel and untangled the snake. The snake had a small wound near the tail so he surmised that the hawk likely attacked the snake, but bit the wrong end. Big mistake! Rat Snakes are constrictors. The snake slithered away seemingly unaffected. The hawk took approx 20 minutes to recuperate and fly away. Happy ending for the snake - lesson learned we hope for the hawk.
The hawk had a purple band on its leg, but we don't know who tagged it.
A separate observation has been logged for the hawk.

One of the most memorable experiences I have had in the field. To enjoy the breathtaking mountain views and rolling forest-blanketed valleys from atop the roof of Connecticut alongside this docile, deadly black beast was about as good as it gets.

3-4 individuals at this particular location; two dark morphs seen well and either one or two yellow morphs, much more secretive. All images are digibins. Seen and heard rattling, also observed tongue flicking, crawling, etc. One of the most exciting field experiences of my young life.

At least 13-15 individuals. Habitat was a sizable cranberry bog in New London County approximately 3.5 acres in size, protected by a band of very dense mountain laurel swamp (not fun to bushwhack through) within wider classic eastern Connecticut deciduous forest with very thick understory. This may represent a new site for Bog Copper in CT. The substrate was uniformly cranberry-sphagnum moss; white-and-pink cranberry flowers and young green berries were everywhere. Above the bog floor grew copious rushes; patches of a Rhododendron sp. (no pics, sorry, the butterflies were a little consuming) were interspersed. Other plants associated with this acid bog habitat such as sundews, pitcher plants, or rose pogonias were conspicuously absent.

The coppers were concentrated in a relatively small area within and identical to the wider bog. We observed both males and females (contrary to what is displayed in photos, there were more males; our photographic bias was to the lovely golden females.) There was little interaction between individuals. We were overjoyed to see so many (13-15), both to see this threatened species thriving at this isolated site and because the conditions (75 degrees, extremely humid, wet post-drizzle, overcast) weren’t classic for butterflies.

This sighting represents the first record of Bog Copper for Connecticut on iNaturalist. If you would like to contact me about these threatened butterflies, please email me at willschenck22@gmail.com.

First iNat suggestion. In a very large, healthy, mangrove forest in the lower Florida Keys. I’m not versed in Panoquina id so criticism and discussion very welcome! There were many of these skippers around. I didn’t count but probably saw 8-10 on my long walk down the dirt road into the mangrove forest.