Thanks to my parents, I have a provincial park pass for the summer so I have already made several visits to Bronte Creek Provincial Park in Oakville Ontario to look for late spring butterflies and birds. While I can see many of the same butterflies at other parks it’s always fun to explore new paths and trails where you don’t already know what to expect to find.
Meadow Butterflies at Bronte Creek
I’m sure a Monarch is not a surprise–but it was nice to see one in such good shape. There is Common Milkweed along most of the meadow trails so I expect I’ll see some more Monarchs this summer, too!
Common Ringlets spend more time flying than perching or nectaring and in flight you get an impression of orange, from the tops of their wings, followed by an impression of light tan. Luckily for me, the temperature dropped and it started to sprinkle rain, so this one settled down on a grape leaf to wait for more warmth.
This Northern Crescent was alternating patrolling along the edge of a meadow and landing on the service-vehicle road, conveniently for me.
I was surprised when I looked at this photo on my computer to see that this Northern Cloudywing skipper had been in the wars a bit. In person, it was so bright and colourful I thought it was a fresh arrival.
Silver-spotted Skippers like to shoot up and drive off intruders and this one was no exception. It’s perched on a convenient Goldenrod waiting for its next aerial attack.
Silvery Blues were out in full force the first week of June near parking lot F. There must have been 50 or more along a 100 m stretch beside the access road. I like their white and black polka dots on the undersides of the wings. It’s hard to tell the small blue butterflies apart without seeing the undersides, which is probably why they often perch with only their blue upper sides showing!
Forest and Edge Butterflies at Bronte Creek
This orange skipper is a Hobomok, but don’t ask me how to pronounce that. I have only ever found them at the edges of woods, or in sunny clearings. I’m not sure why, though, as their caterpillars eat grasses, not trees.
This is a White Admiral of the south, or a Red-spotted Admiral, or a Red-spotted Purple. I’m never quite sure what to call them but I think their metallic blue colouring is perfect. They are fairly big, like a Viceroy, so they are really noticeable in flight. It makes sense that these are in forested areas as their larvae eat leaves of certain trees.
This Northern Pearly-eye was a bit early but a welcome sight. It’s hard to identify the forest brown butterflies unless and until they perch. Luckily this one landed. Unluckily it was way back with many many leaves and branches in the way. But I did get photos, if only at awkward angles.
Everywhere You Go Butterflies at Bronte Creek
No it’s not another Monarch. I seem to see Viceroy butterflies all over the place: flying across meadows, in the woods, and beside the marshes. Their caterpillars eat things like willows and poplars.
This Cabbage White has the dubious distinction of showing both its top and its under wings in one photo. It was managing to fly reasonably well considering.
Little Wood Satyrs were definitely at the edges of every trail I walked in early June. If it is like other parks nearby, they will still be flying in somewhat lower numbers through the entire month. Some were already pretty wing-worn and others were so fresh they must have just emerged.
Red Admirals came roaring up from the south in 2024 and in April they were every where you looked from lawns to forests. If they find enough nettles for their eggs we should have a steady supply of these feisty little explorers throughout the summer. This one is on a blackberry flower, in case you are curious.
Although most common patrolling up among the leaves of the trees, Eastern Tiger Swallowtails do show up all over as they move from woodlot to forest or drop down for a sip. This one on the Dame’s Rocket down alongside the marsh on the Half Moon trail was easier to photograph than the one in the apple trees in the paddock, or the one hunting around the maple trees near the Spruce Lane field.
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