2019 National Butterfly Count in Albemarle County Virginia

The lovely Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

Yesterday two teams participated in the annual Albemarle County butterfly count. The team I was on went to Crozet Virginia and data will be submitted to the North American Butterfly Association. Taking approximately four hours in temps reaching 90 degrees each team covered different areas to record each species of butterfly spotted. The teams were coordinated by Nancy Weiss and Terri Keffert of the Rivanna Master Naturalists. This was my 5th year to head out to count. It's quite fun to attempt to find that elusive butterfly that you have never seen!

Pair of Clouded Sulphur Butterflies on yellow Cup Plant.

The focus is on butterflies but it's also interesting to see what plants butterflies prefer. There was a butterfly fight over the orange Butterfly Weed. A top favorite for several species during our count. The Eastern Tiger Swallowtails loved the thistle plant. Often looked upon as a weed to us but a valuable plant for butterflies and worth keeping a patch off to the side in ones yard.

Our group (all smiles when your with fellow nature lovers).

The final numbers have yet to be tallied but hundreds of butterflies were spotted. The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail was the most common butterfly along our walk. It sounds like an easy task to identify a particular butterfly but there can be very minute differences between similar looking butterflies. It takes a trained eye often looking through a set of auto zoom binoculars in order to accurately identify. The topside and underside of a butterfly can be very different which also makes things complicated. Sometimes it comes down to just how it flies or what is referred to as the flight pattern. There are around 20,000 butterfly species on our planet but luckily in Albemarle County Virginia there are "only" about 70.

Spicebush Swallowtail on Monarda.

Annual counts can be a barometer of the health of the area. Habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change can impact numbers. Often we hear of the decline of bees but many other insects pollinate such as butterflies and moths. Butterflies, when in the caterpillar stage, are a major part of the food chain for birds.
There are many butterflies at risk.

My attempt at a Monet - Waterlilies spotted along our route.

You can help by not using toxic chemicals and by growing native plants which often provide food for caterpillars and attract adult butterflies. Often we do not understand the relationship between one species and another until we study it. We see a plant that has chewed leaves and think our plant is doomed when often it's just part of the normal course of things. The worm eats the leaves but turns into a beautiful butterfly that turns around and pollinates the plant it chewed.

On butterfly weed, the only Gray Hairstreak we spotted.

This July we celebrated our 10 year anniversary of moving to Albemarle County and I saw more butterflies in our yard than ever. I like to think it's because each year I have planted more native plants.

The good news is that local friends are also seeing more butterflies this year and our count was very fruitful!

-Rebecca 

Charlottesville Annual 2017 Butterfly Count in Albemarle County Virginia

Butterfly Counters (hat and binoculars required gear)

While Charlottesville made national news due to violence in our lovely historic downtown, I was out participating in the annual North American Butterfly Count for Albemarle County.

You can't help but have a favorite, the Northern Pearly Eye.

Two teams of mainly Virginia Master Naturalists headed out at 10 am to count butterflies. One group was dispatched to Crozet and the other to Kemper Park (the nature trail that traverses up to Monticello). Temperatures were more moderate today, only 90 degrees compared to 97 last year! Getting overheated is to be expected. The day began with fog and light sprinkles of rain but the sun came out and so did the butterflies!

This year our butterfly count was held just north of Kemper Park at the adjacent property, Secluded Farm. It's a lightly hiked area that features big swaths of open meadows and forest land.

The official numbers have not been tabulated but our butterfly sightings were fairly light. The most commonly spotted butterflies were the little Silvery Checkerspot, Skippers, and the black Spicebush Swallowtail.

Spicebush Swallowtail on Thistle flower

It was remarked that the annual count is a favorite event for many of us. Immersed in nature, seeing a variety of native plants, insects, magnificently huge trees, and of course butterflies. There is always something in nature that is totally new. I discovered several plants and shrubs that I had never seen. A Master Naturalist snapped a Spice Bush limb and we all smelled it's lovely scent. Who knew! There were also plenty of unusual Dragonflies lighted on twigs.

Silvery Checkerspot Butterfly

I have to wonder why people can't find something meaningful to do with their time other than spew hate. What a waste of a perfectly beautiful day in Virginia. I'm so fortunate to live in a normally peaceful town that welcomes diversity and has respect for all creatures great and small.

~ Rebecca

Annual Virginia Master Naturalists North American Butterfly Count

Butterfly Count in the forest at Kemper Park

It was an privilege for me to be able to participate in the North American Butterfly Count for Albemarle County. Today 2 teams of Virginia Master Naturalists (for the exception of a few of us) headed out at 9 am to count butterflies. I was assigned to the team that went to the amazing Kemper Park nature trail that traverses up to Monticello. When I left the house it was 77 degrees, when I returned after noon, it was 97! Needless to say, it was a hot day. We were very fortunate to be able to walk deep in the forest to escape the oppressing heat. The other group was dispatched to Crozet, another area in the county.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on Thistle, parking lot Kemper Park

The official numbers have not been tabulated but it was obvious that the numbers were lower this year. The most commonly spotted butterfly, and one of the largest, was the yellow with black stripes Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. Of all the butterflies in Virginia, it probably is the most recognized.

I found this photo amusing given our addiction to cell phones. This little American Snout is trying to grab the attention of one of our young nature lovers that was on the count. Almost to say, hey you, get off that thing and pay attention to me! Check out the unusually long snout on that guy.

The small Silvery Checkerspot

There are many reasons for a species to decline. One of the best ways to encourage butterflies in your yard is to plant natives and other trees, shrubs, and flowers that caterpillars like to eat or that butterflies prefer for egg laying. I finally have a little patch of three Paw Paw trees that are coming along nicely in my yard. This attracts the stunning Zebra Swallowtail, one of which we saw today but it was so high in the tree I could not photograph it.

Cardinal Flower and Joe Pye Weed

Not only do we see wonderful Butterflies but also interesting plants and little critters. We were lucky to have a budding entomologist along that magically spotted unusual insects that I had never seen before. It's a thrill to see something new. Of course being on the trail with Master Naturalists, most plants are also identified.

My first sighting of the Hackberry Emperor

It was a hot day but when your mission is to "spot the butterfly" it some how takes a backseat to your quest to find the next elusive beauty. Especially when you find a species that you have never seen. I was happy to see a Hackberry Emperor complete with a crazy pattern and many "eyes". All designed to confuse predators and make it blend into the environment.

The Kemper Park group

Training prior to the event was prepared by Nancy Weiss and Terri Keffert of the Rivanna Master Naturalists. Many thanks to both of them for their dedication to this effort and to our team leader, Laura Seale.

-Rebecca