Brukner Nature Center Butterfly Transit, July 9, 2016

The prairie plants along the drive were planted a few years ago and have taken hold nicely.  The butterflies come to the purple coneflowers, wingstem, common milkweed, and other flowers.

The former porch of the Interpretive Center has been enclosed to create a larger meeting place for school groups and a new smaller porch added.  During the construction process, the native plant flowerbeds on either side of the porch were torn up.  Up until this year these were good places to find butterflies. Next year there will flowers again.  They have been planted.  But, this year the number of butterflies around the entrance has been sparse.

Our count for July 9 was
7 Cabbage whites
3 Pearl crescents
2 Great spangled fritillaries
1 Summer azure
1 Red admiral
and one unknown dark brown skipper

We did  get some photos.

Pearl Crescent seen at the top of the amphitheater.

Pearl Crescent seen along the drive.

The unknown dark brown skipper

The Summer Azure

A worn Great-spangled Fritillary

And a less tattered Great-spangled Fritillary

We are finding more caterpillars as we have learned to look for them.

Found on a Redbud leaf

Found on Indian Hemp

Found on Black-eyed Susan.