April 29, 2022
I traveled to both Fluvanna and Albemarle Counties this morning. Overall it was a challenging day (low numbers and diversity) with low temperatures (42-59 degrees) and a continuous stream of high clouds which provided little break for odonates and butterflies to really sun themselves.
The highlight was five (5) Green-faced Clubtails (3 male/2 female) and my FOS Common Sootywing.
| Odonates | Fluvanna County | Albemarle County |
| Green-faced Clubtail | 5 | |
| Common Whitetail | 1 | 3 |
| Ashy Clubtail | 2 | |
| Lancet Clubtail | 3 | |
| Blue Corporal | 4 | |
| Butterflies | ||
| Pearl Crescent | 9 | 2 |
| Common Sootywing | 1 | |
| Spicebush Swallowtail | 1 | |
| Silver-spotted Skipper | 1 |
I attempted some video of one of the Green-faced Clubtails today. (I apologize for some focus issues as sometimes I approached to closely for the camera to adjust.)
April 27 & 28, 2022
I briefly visited Lunenburg County on the 27th and then walked for a short distance in Powhatan County on the 28th. No real surprises but nice to see both St. Croix Snaketail and Spine-crowned Clubtail both in adult appearance.
April 24, 2022
I visited western Goochland County, momentarily touched Buckingham County and spent most of the morning in Fluvanna County. Warbler migration was the best I have heard and seen, for me, this morning. Blue-winged Warbler (2), Black-throated Blue Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler and Kentucky Warbler were all enjoyed.
A Green-faced Clubtail emergence was noted in Fluvanna County today with eight (8) confirmed but at least 4+ more very probable. Also noted were my FOS Aurora Damsels. Good numbers of Snowberry Clearwing Moths (12+) were noted and an increasing number of Hummingbird Clearwing Moths (4) were observed.
| Odonates | # |
| Blue Corporal | 9 |
| Common Baskettail | 17 |
| Common Whitetail | 14 |
| Stream Cruiser | 8 |
| Springtime Darner | 4 |
| Green-faced Clubtail | 8 |
| Spine-crowned Clubtail | 1 |
| UnIDed Clubtail (probable Green-faced) | 4 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | 1 |
| Fragile Forktail | 6 |
| Aurora Damsel | 8 |
| Bluet species (teneral female) | 1 |
| Butterflies | # |
| Zebra Swallowtail | 13 |
| Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | 6 |
| Spicebush Swallowtail | 18 |
| Eastern Comma | 1 |
| Anglewing species | 3 |
| American Lady | 1 |
| Pearl Crescent | 14 |
| Falcate Orangetip | 2 |
| Zebulon Skipper | 1 |
| Silver-spotted Skipper | 5 |
| Northern Cloudywing | 1 |
| Duskywing species | 3 |
| Carolina Satyr | 4 |
| Eastern Tailed-Blue | 4 |
April 22, 2022
I traveled back to Southampton County this morning after a brief visit in Sussex County for nightjars. I ended up with 15+ Whip-poor-will but no Chuck’s, at least yet.
Southampton again proved enjoyable for butterflies, at least to me. I had five (5) Lace-winged Roadside-Skippers for the morning. I also had a Carolina/Reversed Roadside Skipper but the ventral side was very worn and not distinguishable, at least by me.
A Little Blue Dragonlet proved to be my FOS.
Below is a summary of Odonates and Butterflies for the day:
| Odonates | # |
| Blue Corporal | 28 |
| Common Baskettail | 24 |
| Mantled Baskettail | 9 |
| Baskettail species (not Mantled) | 16+ |
| Stream Cruiser | 3 |
| Harlequin Darner | 39 |
| Lancet Clubtail | 5 |
| Cocoa Clubtail | 3 |
| Common Whitetail | 12 |
| Painted Skimmer | 2 |
| Little Blue Dragonlet | 2 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | 13 |
| Fragile Forktail | 4 |
| Citrine Forktail | 2 |
| Butterflies | # |
| Zebra Swallowtail | 5 |
| Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | 13 |
| Spicebush Swallowtail | 14 |
| Red-spotted Purple | 1 |
| Red-banded Hairstreak | 6 |
| American Lady | 1 |
| Sleepy Orange | 2 |
| Falcate Orangetip | 1 |
| Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper | 5 |
| American Snout | 2 |
| Southern Pearly-Eye | 1 |
| Carolina Satyr | 5 |
| Eastern Tailed-Blue | 2 |
April 15, 2022
I visited Southampton County today. The weather proved mostly sunny with temperatures ranging from 49-69 degrees.
The highlight of the day proved to be Reversed Roadside-Skipper (3) which was a lifer for me. (Harry LeGrand was good enough to review the photographs I took and confirm the ID and Harry Pavulaan has added the species to the county list for Southampton.) The 2nd butterfly highlight of the day was my first Carolina Roadside-Skipper which Nick Flanders and Harry LeGrand confirmed.
Odonate highlights included my FOS Cocoa Clubtails, Painted Skimmer, Eastern Pondhawk and Skimming Bluet.
April 13, 2022
I went to Powhatan State Park for awhile again this morning. Many odes and butterflies showed some increases in numbers from yesterday. I also occasioned upon an eruption of flying ants and found both Stream Cruiser (7+), Springtime Darners (4+) and a few Common Baskettails attempting to catch and feed upon them.
Below is a short video (marginal quality) of the flying ants:
April 12, 2002
I briefly checked for odes and butterflies today at Powhatan State Park. The highlight was my FOS Monarch butterfly, finding a Juniper Hairstreak in Powhatan County and the slightly increasing St. Croix Snaketails.
April 11, 2022
After a slow and cool start to the morning in Fluvanna County both the temperature and fauna picked up in pace. Several new FOS odes for me were Sely’s and Uhler’s Sundragons plus Citrine Forktail. It was nice in one area to have both the Sely’s and Uhler’s flying together. On the butterfly side, I had my first of season Juniper Hairstreak. Another first for me was getting my second of the season White M Hairstreak. (I have never had 2 sightings of this species in the same year in two different counties.) A summary and some photographs follow:
April 9 & 10, 2022
I visited Charles City County on Saturday (9th) morning before the clouds set in. A couple of new first of year ode species were encountered, Lancet and Ashy Clubtails.
On Sunday (10th), I spent most of my time in Southampton County but I did run through a couple of areas in Sussex County also. The highlight for me was getting four (4) Baskettail species in one day, which I had never done. I had a Slender Baskettail (1) which unfortunately got away before I could obtain a photograph.
The butterflies and odonates immediately below were observed on the 9th in Charles City County:
The Odes, Butterflies and Snakes noted in the below table were observed in Southampton and Sussex Counties on the 10th:
April 8, 2022
I was again in Powhatan County this morning. Butterflies were more obvious than odes today. The only new ode species today was a photograph shared by a friend of mine from Goochland County, Twin-spotted Spiketail, which was in her yard.
The butterflies and odonates observed can be found summarized in the following table:
*observed and photographed by friend in Goochland County
April 6, 2022
I again stayed close to home and visited Powhatan County. The early afternoon found much more ode and butterfly activity as can be seen in the table below.
April 4 & 5, 2022
I spent a little time over the last two mornings in Powhatan County principally focused on flowering plants and the occasional butterfly that might fly by. Some photographs can be found below:
April 2, 2022
I visited Southampton County again today visiting some of the same areas as I did yesterday. What a difference we encounter each day! Harlequin Darners were ever present yesterday but were few and far between today. Common Baskettail were common yesterday but a pretty even mix was observed today in comparison with other basketballs.
Later in the day I made my way down to Merchant’s Millpond in Gates County, North Carolina and enjoyed a peaceful evening.
An interesting encounter today was a male baskettail catching a female and getting into a wheel. It was challenging initially to determine species but I suspected Robust. I observed them light and begin the exchange of genetic information and took a few photographs and then I grabbed the male who would not release the female and photographed them in hand confirming Robust.
The butterflies and odonates observed can be found summarized in the following table:
April 1, 2022
I visited Southampton County today. What a change from my last visit about a week or so ago. The skies were mostly sunny early followed by partial cloudiness and temperatures were relatively mild 55-64 degrees with the winds were blustery.
Spring warblers and vireos continue to arrive and in number. Ovenbirds (6+) were routinely heard as well as White-eyed Vireos (5+). In both Sussex County and Southampton County I had one each Virginia Rails.
The real story though was the increase in odonates numbers and species. The Harlequin Darners were so common at times I had 25+ in sight flying up and down the dirt road and many using me as a perch. A couple were hand captured and can be seen in the photograph section.
Two unfortunate observations were DOR (dead on road) Mink and Ring-necked Duck.
The butterflies and odonates observed can be found summarized in the following table:
I have also added a few short videos of Harlequin Darners and Mantled Baskettail.